The actor, who went on to star in critically acclaimed films like "Waisa Bhi Hota Hai", "Ishqiya" and "Jolly LLB," said he could come so far in his career as wife Maria Goretti was a constant support during the low phase.
"After my first film everybody said 'damn good'. But when the next two-three (films) died, it was done and I was left with no job. Till I did 'Waisa Bhi Hota Hai', 'Seher' and then of course 'Munna Bhai'.
Arshad says he kept doing whatever good came his way as he had faith in his talent.
"You get insecure or worried if you don't know your job. If you know it, sooner or later everybody will realise that. You can put up an act for sometime but after that people will understand."
The 48-year-old actor, feels sad for people "who have fooled their way into the job" with a team behind them, "spending crores to make them look good and talented."
It was the Rajkumar Hirani-directed film which became a runaway hit and gave Arshad's career a needed push.
"If you look at the character in the film, there is no importance to it, in the sense that he is just a goon. There are five goons behind Sanju, he is one of them who has two lines more than the rest.
Like he was hopeful during the testing times, Arshad has pined hopes on his latest "Irada", touted as Bollywood's first ecological thriller. The film brings him back with actor Naseerudin Shah, with whom he has previously worked in the "Ishqiya" series.
The Aparnaa Singh directed movie releases on February 17.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
