A graduate of Kishore Namit Kapoor Acting Institute in Mumbai, India, the soft-spoken actor is an admirer of Daniel Day-Lewis. Three films old, Thapa will next be seen in Chadke and Badhshala, two films that have already managed to stir the imaginations of the audience. Before the year ends, he will also have another film out. Moun promises to be interesting as we’ll see Thapa in a romantic role in the thriller film. [break]
Though you’ve done a variety of roles, the underlying point is that your characters have a dark side to them. Why so?
It’s probably due to my zodiac sign, which falls on Scorpio. I’m interested in occult and the darker aspect of things, which seems to come out in my characters. But that doesn’t mean that I’ll be limited to such roles. I would like to do comic roles someday.
Photo: Bijay Gajmer/Republica
You’ve written scripts for your films. Are you an actor first and foremost, or are you an actor and writer?
I prefer to call myself an actor and writer. I’ve always written poems, and of course, I have stories to tell. Acting is very important to me, and I waited for six years before I started work on Sick City because I was waiting for a good suitable film. I knew that the kind of films being made then weren’t creatively satisfying for me. So I preferred to wait rather than jumping into work for the sake of it. I worked in a DVD shop and it helped me get an insight into the kind of films most people like. Now, as a writer, I keep in mind that I need to balance my creative urges and craft something that’s not entirely artsy.
I’m also interested in directing films, but that’ll only happen after I’m confident about it. At the moment, I’m focusing on being an actor and a writer.
How difficult is it to switch off from the role of the character you’re playing?
I believe in method acting, but while I’m totally immersed in that character, I’ve never had a problem leaving it behind me when I go back home. Where I have a problem is when the duration between the filming of two different films is relatively short. Then I find that I tend to carry bits of my previous character on to the new one.
Our film industry is experiencing a metamorphosis at the moment. What’s your take on that?
I feel proud to be a part of this industry. It’s great that many young people are coming forward and taking filmmaking and acting seriously. The audience has also started placing their trust in us and it’s our responsibility not to disappoint them. While we haven’t yet reached a stage where we’re completely sustainable on filmmaking alone, the process is satisfying and I’m happy to be where I am.
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