What women want!

Strong and silent. That's the first thought that strikes you when you meet model-turned-actor Sanjay Suri.

He played the second lead in his debut film, Pyaar Mein Kabhie Kabhie, [along with debutants Dino Morea and Rinke Khanna]. But it was Sanjay's performance that was noticed.

In Tera Jadoo Chal Gayaa and Daman, Sanjay had small but definitive roles which got him noticed.

His latest film, Meghna Gulzar's Filhaal, has him opposite the powerhouse of talent: Tabu.

Rashmi Ail finds out what matching acting wits with Tabu and working in Filhaal was like:

You've always gone for strong, silent characters on screen. Is your character in Filhaal follow the pattern?

He is strong but he is different from the characters I have portrayed earlier. He is a 21st century man. He is independent, self-made, loving, dotes on his wife and believes in equality between the sexes. He has a good sense of humour. He is the kind of guy women would want as their husband or boyfriend.

I also think it is high time actors portrayed characters people can identify with. No one can identify with a hero who jumps from 20 storeys. I believe in commercial, but sensible, cinema.

Do you see yourself in this character?

*laughs* A bit.

Tell us about working with debutante director Meghna.

Meghna is a brilliant director. She has an eye for detail. She knows which costumes she wants her characters to wear; she also coordinates the colours of the costumes with those of the sets. Her homework is thorough.

She knows exactly what she wants from her actors since she wrote the script. That made it easy for us. She handled shooting schedules deftly. She's very dedicated and is confident and committed to her work.

How different is it to have a woman wielding the directorial baton from a man?

I have worked with two woman directors. [The first was with Kalpana Lajmi in Daman.]

A woman's perspective on some issues could be different from a man's. A male director might overlook certain things which a woman would treat sensitively. Working with a woman director just makes you aware of the other side of the picture.

You've been cast opposite Tabu. Did you feel pressurised into matching up to her?

No, Tabu made me feel very comfortable from day one. I am very happy to have been cast with one of the best actresses in Hindi cinema. It was inspiring to have her on the sets. I learnt so much from her.

I took it as a compliment that Meghna thought I was good enough to be cast opposite her.

You don't seem to hanker for the top banners...

I'd rather my work speak for myself than blow my own trumpet.

The big banners know I am around. If they feel I fit the bill for a role, I am just a phone call away.

Moreover, I've worked with Jhamu Sughand [Filhaal] and Vashu Bhagnani [Tera Jadoo Chal Gayaa]. You don't get bigger than them.

I love my job -- that is what matters.

Pyaar Mein Kabhie Kabhie, Daman and Tera Jadoo Chal Gayaa were multi-starrers. So is Filhaal. Are you not wary of being overshadowed?

First of all, I am not an insecure person. Second, I am not an insecure professional.

Who wouldn't want to be cast with people who know their job? It is better to share the screen with someone superior to you than someone who doesn't know what he or she is doing in front of the camera.

Would you say that Filhaal is the biggest role you have landed?

Whether the role is small or big, I am proud of all the work I have done.

There is nothing I have done on screen that I am embarrassed about. I take on a role only if I have the conviction, else I don't.

But I hope Filhaal is a landmark in my career.