Euphoric about Filhaal

Jack of all trades and a master, too. That is Palash Sen for you.

A man of varied interests and talents -- a practising doctor who sings with a rock group in his spare time.

Now in his latest avatar as an actor, Palash takes time out to talk to Bharati Dubey about his debut film Filhaal:

From medicine to singing to dancing around trees. Pretty big career changes...

I haven't given up anything I started. I do experiment so that my creative juices keep flowing. Life as a 'Euphoric' (the name of his band is Euphoria) man will never end.

Also, there's no running around trees in the film. I didn't even get a chance to run around the heroine who's taller than most of the trees!

Was your family surprised with your decision, considering you come from a long line of doctors? How have your patients reacted to your changing professions?

My mother and wife have supported my decision completely because of the way I have handled my career. I'm a general physician, with a house job in Orthopaedics. I can also sing and act.

My regular patients take my interests as an extension of my personality. I have always maintained a certain dignity in my music. It is the same in my film career which helps me keep in touch with both, my patients and reality.

How did Filhaal fall into your lap? Did you receive any other offers before Meghna Gulzar (director of Filhaal) approached you?

Yes, there were offers before Filhaal. None were as classy or sensible as this one. My character is an ordinary, everyday guy. Not the archetypal Hindi film superhero which, to me, was both endearing and challenging.

Did the Bengali conncection with Meghna and Sushmita Sen work for you?

I think I have a celestial connection with the unit of Filhaal. Being a Bengali was never a consideration. In any case, the film is being made in Hindi. Language does not matter. But yes, I could share some secrets with Sushmita and Meghna without anyone else understanding.

Tell us more about the film. We hear it is about surrogate motherhood. Do you think Indian audiences will identify with its subject?

The film is about relationships on different planes. It could be the story of anybody's life. I think Indians are the most intelligent and mature audiences in the world. Maybe the wrong people become filmmakers.

What was working with Sushmita like? Was her height ever an issue?

After a point, our chemistry rocked the screen so much that height became a non-issue. She is one-and-a-half inches taller than me but recognises the fact that the best things in life come in small packages!

What is your opinion of Meghna Gulzar as a director?

Meghna is sensible, sensitive and hard-working. Does it matter in this day and age what the sex of your colleague is? We are good friends and respect each other.

Would you have approved if someone else playbacked for you?

I wouldn't have done the film if it weren't for my singing. Music is my passion and I know that was chosen for the role because to my singing. It would be shocking if I didn't sing in my films. Yes, there are better playback singers. But when I can sing, why should you go look for someone else?

Has your music and Euphoria suffered in the meanwhile? Euphoria has not had a release in a long time.

Euphoria has recently signed up with T-Series for our next album, which will be released after the film comes out. I don't want any kind of confusion created with the promotion of both these projects.

Is Palash Sen the actor now here to stay?

I am very satisfied because I have worked in a film I'm proud of. It will also go down in history as being the only one of its kind.

For now, I'm not looking at any other offers till Filhaal releases. A career in showbiz is superficial and temporary. But the high one gets can only be comparable to a feeling of euphoria.