Arshad Warsi turns Villain

Bollywood's most loved comic actor Arshad Warsi admits that he is fed up of doing comedy. Now he's all set to turn negative with an author-backed assassin's role in Kabeer Kaushik's film titled Qazaa (death).

"I'm playing a terrorist on hire. My character doesn't just shoot to kill and he plants bombs to destroy cities. Qazaa is a film about global terrorism," Arshad said. Earlier, Arshad had played a serious anti-establishment cop in Kaushik's Saher. "That gave me a completely different role to do. If Saher didn't work it wasn't because of my comic image. It just didn't have the money to be marketed well."

Arshad, currently shooting for Goal in London, is in the mood to get serious.

"I try variations but I'm bored of comedy. It's like having the same food everyday. There's bound to be tedium. In fact I've stopped accepting comedy," admits the affable actor whose comic-turn in Munnabhai, Salaam Namaste and Golmaal brought the house down. "My last comedy after Lage Raho Munna Bhai will be Indra Kumar's Dhamaal. Anthony Kaun Hai? was a thriller. In Kabul Express I was a guy with a sense of humour who throws in his one-liners but he isn't a funny guy."

About losing out working with Rituparno Ghosh in Sunglass, he said: "I knew it'd be great fun working with him. But never mind. I know some day he'll call me again. Yes, it was a money issue. In signing films my logic is very simple. Either give me the money or fame. The big filmmakers don't pay you. So who the hell pays my bills? I think I'll have to find another job to support myself as an actor."

How about theatre? "I've been a choreographer on stage before I became a film actor. Theatre gives even less money than movies."