Don't want to make films to win awards: Arbaaz Khan

Noida: As an actor, he might be open to taking up almost all kind of roles, but Arbaaz Khan says when it comes to producing and directing a film, he is inclined towards mainstream cinema.

"As a director, I would always want to do mainstream cinema, which has popular reception. I don't want to make niche films or make films to win awards," Arbaaz said at a press conference here on Friday for his new film "Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai".

"I feel if a film is good, it will reach a bigger audience and it might end up winning awards -- which is what happened with ‘Dabangg'. It won a National Award and did well at the box office too. You don't have to make cinema only to win awards… I don't care if I don't win awards, I really don't care," he added.

Talking about his personal life, Arbaaz, who has separated from estranged wife and actress-model Malaika Arora Khan, said: "See you have a choice, either you look back at your life and sit back, or you look at it as a lesson and say, ‘Okay, I am going to move on from here'.

"Any loss that you suffer - be it money-wise, somebody's demise in the family or a relationship, life goes on. Human beings are meant to survive."

When IANS asked about the types of roles he looks for, Arbaaz said: "I just wait for people to offer me something that I feel is suited. I don't have any real expectations. When somebody comes to me, I feel that they have somewhere made up in their mind that I fit the character. So I trust them."

Arbaaz said as a film producer, he is more selective about his choices, but as an actor he is more available. 

"In a year, I can do five-six films as an actor, but I can't do the same as a director. I have to select one. As an actor, I keep myself available because I like to experiment. When I am directing films, I am a little more particular, careful and choosy. But as an actor I love to experiment," he said.

Directed by Keshav Panneriy, "Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai", which also features Himansh Kohli, Manjari Fadnis, Prem Chopra, Ashutosh Rana and Supriya Pathak apart from Arbaaz, is slated to release on March 3.

After this film, Arbaaz said that he will start working on "Dabangg 3" early next year.