I couldn`t imagine myself in ‘Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola’: Imran

New Delhi: He has mostly played urban characters but actor Imran Khan is set for quite an image makeover with his turn as a Haryanvi boy in Vishal Bhardwaj`s film ‘Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola’.

Like the unusual title, the film is an experience for the actor, who initially found it hard to picture himself as a village boy. Imran, however, is excited about the challenge. After all, Bhardwaj is known for visualising his actors differently. "Vishal sir had congratulated me for my work in `Delhi Belly` and said he would like to work with me someday. I was really flattered but did not take it seriously but he called me a few months later for this film," Imran said. "He (Vishal) narrated the screenplay to me and I loved it because I knew it was a great story. But, I would not have imagined myself into it. It is very rustic. I asked him, `Are you sure I am right for this character?` and he was," the 29-year-old actor added. Imran, on his part, is currently busy polishing his Haryanvi accent for the movie, which went on floors recently. "I have set up base in Delhi. I have been taking accent training with some boys from Haryana for a month and half. It is very difficult but an ongoing process. I am not completely satisfied with myself," says Imran. The actor found success with his very first film ‘Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na’ in 2008 but things did not go very well with his ‘Kidnap’ and ‘Luck’. It was not a good phase for the actor, who seemed a one film wonder at that time. He tasted success again with ‘I Hate Luv Storys’ but it was ‘Delhi Belly’ that helped Imran change people`s perception about him. Imran, however, seems ready for the ups and downs in his career. "I have grown up in this industry. It prepared me for the upheavals. May be it is difficult for those who come from outside but I knew the volatile nature of the industry and entered films knowing the risks. The highs are so high and the lows are so low and public that you need to be able to hold on. I was emotionally and mentally prepared for that long before I started. I don`t let success go to my head and failure to my heart," says Imran. His preparedness does not extend to planning his career. The actor says he likes to take things as they come. "You can`t control the future, it will shape up on its own. I am driven to do my best and rest is in the hands of the audience. My goal is happiness. I think, it is easier to be happy than people imagine. The trick is to know what is important to you. In my case, my family, friends and work are important to me." The actor has once again managed to get critics` approval with his controlled performance opposite Kareena Kapoor in recently released ‘Ekk Main Aur Ekk Tuu’, which saw him portraying a meek youngster bullied by his parents. “The tricky thing about my role was that all of his thoughts, feeling and emotions are not displayed. Generally, in Hindi films there is more overacting but the challenge was to keep everything underplayed and still try to make it interesting for the audience. I could relate to the character because I have seen many of my friends living the life that their parents want them to live.” PTI