Amol Palekar, actor/director

Why aren’t you seen in Mumbai more often?
I have had enough of this city. Even though I have lived here all my life, Mumbai doesn’t attract me any more. I prefer Pune and its quieter environs.

Don’t you miss Mumbai at all?
Not really. While the rest of you are struggling to get out of another two hour traffic jam, I am spending that  time in a much better way. Mumbai has taken a lot out of me as a city, and I am not prepared to give more at this stage in my life.

Is Pune more conducive to film making?
Maybe it is not, but that doesn’t stop me from living there. There are other things in life. I have just completed my latest film called Dum Kata, which will feature two new child actors. Besides it also includes Sachin Khedekar, Om Puri  with others.

Will you ever work with mainstream stars again after Paheli?
Perhaps I will. It depends on the script that I have. I don’t have any qualms working with big stars, but there is also no compulsion that I have to work with them. I am happy as long as I get to make the kind of films I want to.

I have worked with stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukherji in Paheli, so it’s not like I cannot handle stars. The only thing is that my kind of cinema is not star- driven, which is something a lot of people don’t understand

Will you ever return to acting?
(Laughs) That’s the first time someone has asked me about my returning to acting. People are always asking why I did it in the first place. But on a more serious note, I don’t miss being in front of the camera at all. If I don’t have the urge to act, why should I force myself?

—Shilpa Jamkhandikar