I miss acting: Jugal Hansraj

New Delhi: He is best remembered as the adorable boy from ‘Masoom’ and actor Jugal Hansraj, who has shifted gears from acting to direction, says he desperately wants to make a comeback on-screen.

The 39-year-old directed the first Hindi mainstream CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) feature film ‘Roadside Romeo’ and Priyanka Chopra starrer ‘Pyaar Impossible’. But both his films did not do well at the box-office. "I have been outside the acting circuit for quite some time. I was busy with behind-the-camera stuff. I miss acting and I know it would be difficult for me to make a comeback as a lead character in the films. So, I enjoy direction as there are various nuances to it," Hansraj said. After enjoying his stint as a child artiste for three years in the industry, Hansraj begun his adult career with ‘Aa Gale Lag Jaa’ and was noticed in ‘Papa Kehte Hai’ (1995) and starrer ‘Mohabbatein’ (2000). "I am open to acting and it`s not that I want to play lead in the films. I have always done those films where my character had some depth. Moreover, I was always inclined to animation and writing," said the actor, who is currently writing three scripts. Hansraj will be a part of the Melbourne Film Festival, beginning from June 11, to share his knowledge and understanding of the resources available in animation scenario. He says the animation industry in India is in its nascent stage and will pick up momentum in the next couple of years. "It`s a great honour for me to be a part of master classes of Melbourne Film festival. I will discuss the about the scenario of animation in Australia and India. "In India, it`s in its primary stage unlike Hollywood. We have just taken few steps with our films like `Arjun` and `Hanuman`. But if we devote some more budget to it then it will definitely flourish," he added. Hansraj`s tryst with animation started when he was a kid and he says the love for animated objects inspired him to create a `masala` animated film ‘Roadside Romeo’. "I have always been crazy about animation films as a child. I used to sit by my TV screen fascinated by these magical characters, many of them animals who could talk, dance and sing. In fact, it was this love for animation films that inspired me to write and then eventually direct Roadside Romeo," he said. But the actor feels the major drawback of animation films is that they are extremely time consuming. "I am not writing any animation films as of now. All three scripts of mine are love and action films. It takes four to five years to prepare an animation film and within this time period you can`t devote your time to something else," he added. PTI