Comedy is not respected, says Arshad Warsi

Moreover, Arshad Warsi is no more a sidekick and has come a long way too since then. Frank and hilarious, the actor says he wouldn't want to relate to the guy -- lest his own marriage falls into trouble -- he's playing in his upcoming comedy film. In a tete-a-tete with CS, Arshad shares his thoughts on cinema, colleagues and career.

Learning from the past
The truth is I've done some films just for the sake of money and obviously, I'm not very proud of them. If you watch these films, you'll know that I worked in them just for the heck of it. But thanks to those failures, I've learned the importance of taking my work sincerely. I've had more lows than highs so I appreciate my job a lot more today and I'm proud of it too.

In love with the process
I like filmmaking whether I'm contributing as an actor or writer or choreographer. The film you watch in a cinema hall is very different from the film that is shot on the sets. And that's what is so exciting about it -- the whole transformation. Luckily, acting comes naturally to me. The moment the director goes 'action', I know precisely what to do. Interestingly, I've never been typecast although being typecast in this industry is the easy way out because you're assured of certain roles. My aim has always been to not fall into a slot.

No laughing matter
It would be better if I don't comment on what's happening on the small screen. However, sadly, even our films don't treat comedy with as much respect as it requires. I have a wish to actually enjoy a funny film with my kids but I always end up taking them to a Hollywood sci-fi or an animation film. The thing is writing SMS humour is not as difficult as clean-cut humour.

Comic kings
Akshay Kumar has what it takes to make you laugh while Salman (Khan) has his own bizarre way of being funny. Amitji is great with his natural sense of timing and Govinda has been a personal favourite. Among the younger lot, I feel Ranbir (Kapoor) would do great in comic roles. I think he would fare very well in a strong comic role. He's certainly the best thing to have happened to our industry in a long while.

The best choice
I'm not very scientific about choosing a script. I read it once and I know for sure whether I want to do it or not. My character in a film is not as important to me but the film definitely is. Anyway, I've reached that phase where I don't get chased by filmmakers who aren't good at their job.