Actor, screenwriter, film director, social activist, rugby union player and a cricket enthusiast, Rahul Bose, is known as Superstar of the Indian arthouse cinema for his incredible work in films like Mr and Mrs Iyer, 15 Park Avenue, Jhankar Beats, Bombay Boys, Shaurya, Chameli, etc.

In a free-wheeling chat with Ekta Sharma Bhatnagar, the powerhouse of talent, talks about his passions, regrets, love, IPL and more…

Acting, scriptwriting, film-direction, rugby or social work? What is your first love?
I think it is a tie between acting, direction and rugby; a three-way tie. They all make me happy. I really can’t choose one.

So did you always planned to be an actor?
No. When you are doing English theatre you can never plan to be an actor for a living. I always wanted to do theatre, films just happened to me.

You are called the ‘Superstar of Indian arthose cinema’. How do you feel after this tag?
Yeah. Time magazine called me by this name, it was some three years ago. I don’t need my vindication from Time magazine for my work, nor do I think I am a superstar. These tags are not any kind of pressure for me. I just want to do my best. I

want to make sure people don’t forget me, except for Maan Gaye Mugl-e-Azam.

So you regret doing Maan Gaye…?
Of course. There are people who say if they had one more life they would want to be the same person and do the same thing and proclaim that they don’t regret anything in life.
I regret Maan Gaye… in totality, I regret first scene in Shaurya. I regret my graveyard scene in Bombay Boys. I regret so many things. When I heard about the story and cast for Maan Gaye Mugl-e-Azam - Paresh, Kay Kay, Pawan Malhotra... I thought what a chance to do a Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron! It sounded like that. It is the only film I did without having a final sc ript in hand and I regret it in entirety.

You are known as a thinking actor, what made you do fun films like Dil Kabaddi and Pyaar Ke Side Effects?
I enjoyed doing these films. Sometimes you eat Indian, sometimes Chinese. I have the same reason for doing these films. It is to challenge yourself and experience different things.

You were coached by Mansoor Ali Khan for cricket. Cricket is a passion or was it a passing phase and you got into playing rugby?
(Smiles) Yes, he trained me for an year in Bombay gymkhana club. Sports is passion. My number one passion to play is rugby, and to watch is cricket. I like playing rugby and watching cricket.