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Whatever it takes!

Photo: Sandeep Saxena

Grab a bite Vinay Pathak ensures that every meal is a memorable experience

Vegetarians are often reminded that they can’t afford to experiment, but Vinay Pathak dares to be different, very much like he does with the characters he plays. He orders a vegetarian sushi. “I discovered it in Singapore.”

Talking about his his forthcoming film, “Straight”, Vinay says it is the story of a person who questions his sexuality. He refuses to confirm whether he is playing a gay character. “That’s the crux! Director Parvati Balgopalan made it clear that I don’t want people to believe that since you look roly-poly, you have been chosen for this character. I was asked to lose 10 kgs to play Pinu Patel.”

The sushi platter is here and Vinay rewinds to his college days in Allahabad where he used to indulge in food and films. “I am originally from Bhojpur in Bihar. Since my parents transferred their problem to the world by sending me to hostel, I had to learn to cook. I have got variety. I can make delicious sattu ka parantha as well as amazing pasta. Almost all the pocket money I used to get was spent on films. My roommate and I would watch up to 22 films a week. Here again our choice was varied. We used to enjoy Night Eyes as well as Shyam babu’s classics.” Love for films notwithstanding, for Vinay having food is like a celebration. “Even when I am alone, I make sure it is an experience. I will switch on music, light candles…It feels nice.” He loves converting people as well. “When Ranveer (Shorey) and I are shooting together, we insist the other crew members to bring home-cooked food. Everyone brings his or her speciality and then we eat together. The fun we have reflects in the work.”

Meanwhile, his love for films continues unabated. “I manage to squeeze out time very much like I used to do in college days. Whenever I am shooting abroad I spend my free time watching films and finding eating places. I was in Brussels for a week and managed to watch three films and ate at three different places. Within a week I started feeling like a Belgian!” But how did he get this funny image? “It happened with Channel V’s ‘House Arrest’. It had no script so Ranveer and I created two losers, whom no girl will look at. But these losers were special because they could laugh at the boy who gets the girl!” With “Bheja Fry”, the image got a new life. “Exactly, but I didn’t want to repeat it. I rejected almost a dozen similar projects where people were ready to write characters for me. I knew I was in demand but didn’t want to repeat myself. Thankfully, the films I did before ‘Bheja Fry’ released and in these films – ‘Johnny Gaddar’, ‘Manorma Six Feet Under’, ‘Mithya’ – my character was nowhere similar to Bharat Bhushan of ‘Bheja Fry’. As these films recovered their money, suddenly the tag of versatile came in and the media told me that people want to know what Vinay is doing next. It is all about money!” Sweet tidings! Wasabi crème brulee makes an appearance and Vinay goes back to the sweet memories of the laddoos that his mother prepares. “Besan, gur, til, methi…she has got variety.” Vinay’s mother after all!

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