In conversation with Freddy Daruwala, an Indian model and actor who believes that dreams are the biggest motivator of life.
How did your journey as a model begin?
I was pursuing my MBA and at the same time, I took part in this competition called Mr. and Mrs. Universe, a primarily level modeling pageant. I won that in Gujarat region and was also the 1st runner-up in the India region. This gave me the boost and I decided to take modeling seriously. Later, I took part in Mr. India World 2007-2008 and was declared 1st runner-up the title again. This was the time when I decided to shift my base to Mumbai and within one month I became the face of Nivea campaign for the next 3 years. And that there was no looking back and here I am!
When did you realize that you wanted a career in modeling/acting?
To be frank I never decided to take it as a career. It just happened and it is not a career, rather a short-term business. This truth made me realize that I need to look for an alternative and then acting came as a natural progression. I restarted my acting and dance workshops. I also started meeting producers, actors, and directors and slowly things fell in place.
Did you have any alternate profession in mind?
I did electronics and MBA, so alternatives were always there. It all lies in your conscience that where you want to proceed and where you see yourself. Even now I have established myself here, I have many plans in my mind that I will execute at the right time.
Who were your inspirations when you decided to take to the showbiz route?
For me, it has been beyond inspirations and I think one should always push with a perspective to make the best of it than to just make money. And people like
Sachin Tendulkar (sir), Amitabh Bachchan (sir), Akshay Kukar (sir) and Shah Rukh Khan (sir) have given me this perspective with their body of work.
Did you have any Godfather in the industry? Do you think to have one helps?
I never had! Having said that, I agree that having one really makes it easy to survive in this industry. Though I never had one, but the almighty gave me some really good friends with time in the industry who became my guiding force. I owe a lot to Salman Khan (sir), Vipul Shah, Mukesh Chhabra, and Manish Malhotra, who has been there with me and have guided me all these years.
What kind of actor do you want to become?
The search process is still on. Also, the zest of being the best in what I do is what drives me always. So, in case I do a role of a criminal, I would like to be the best in that. I also feel that caging yourself in a comfort zone leads to disappointments, so I have kept the doors open and wish to explore every bit of it and let my audience decide how far I have succeeded.
What do you think about the way your career has progressed so far?
To be frank, I am not happy, but somewhere I feel satisfied what all I have achieved with time. So, in simple words, it’s an amalgamation of emotions and there is much more to achieve.
Which projects have been your greatest learning lessons?
I think every project is unique in its own and each one of them teaches you something or the other. Whenever I sign a project, I go to the set like a blank paper and try to sum up all the experience by the end of the project and then add the necessary changes in my professional life. It is a dynamic process and I think it’s the beauty of each project that nourishes me as an individual.
What’s your dream collaboration?
Well, Hollywood is my destination. But when it comes to Bollywood I am waiting for the opportunity to be directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Sriram Raghavan, Karan Johar and Dibakar Banerjee.
Is the life of a model/actor easy?
No, definitely not! There is a constant pressure of looking good, behaving in a manner and maintain a kind of lifestyle, that you might not associate with. So, in my opinion, it is challenging but at the same time, it also helps you push beyond your comfort zone and lead a life full of opportunities and exposure.
What keeps you motivated?
My dreams keep me motivated. I have sacrificed a lot to stand where I am today and that vision has been my guiding force. I think motivation is an internal process that we often connect with the external world, where we fail to understand the procedure. It is necessary to understand how motivation works and the moment we understand it is there!
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