‘At 64, I would like to correct my mistakes’

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“Life is not connected to age; it’s connected to your thoughts. It’s all about how you want to live and sustain it,” says veteran actor Farooq Sheikh, talking about his upcoming movie Club 60 by director and writer Sanjay Tripathi. Farooq, who made his debut as an actor 32 years back and was last seen hosting the television show Jeena Issi Ka Naam Hai, is back again on the big screen with some veteran stars in their late 50s and 60s.
“It’s a story about people who don’t believe in getting retired from life. The film has a lot of talent with stars like Sarika, Tinu Anand, Satish Shah and Raghubir Yadav. The shooting of this film has been a family-get-together. These are actors I’ve grown with in the industry. I share years of professional and personal relation with them. Satish was my junior in college. He is the most entertaining actor in the industry. Sarika is among the finest and irresistibly good-looking actresses of our times. It’s an honour to work again with all yesteryear stars,” he adds.
The movie Club 60 provides a sneak peek into the lives of youthful people who are 60 years old but young at heart and have a zest to live their lives on their own terms. The story is inspired from the director’s personal experience and a close observation of people whom he interacted with in a south Mumbai club when he joined it four years ago.
About his role in the film, Farooq says, “I’m playing the lead character of a neurosurgeon married to doctor wife Sarika. The couple shifts their base to Mumbai after a tragic incident in their life. They meet and interact with people of their age, who are enjoying their last years regardless of all the problems and pain. They inspire the couple to live life in a new way.”
But Farooq says that he does not relate with his character. “My character is too pessimistic about life, which I’m not. I believe in taking life as it comes with a positive stride,” he shares.
And at the age of 64, what is it that the actor is still looking forward to doing in life? “I want to keep working and make good cinema till my last breath. I would like to spend maximum time with my family, which I missed due to my busy film career. Also, I want to correct all the mistakes that I made when I was young,” he says.
He’s been typecast for comedy roles on TV and movies, but what is his criterion for choosing a role? “People forget that I started my career on TV with a serious role in Shrikaanth which was Sarat Chandra’s autobiographical novel. I have never been conscious of the type of role I’m doing or whether it is comedy or drama. My only criterion for taking up a role is my ‘gut feeling’ on whether I’m going to enjoy doing it or not. I have never craved any particular role,” he sums up.