I enjoy playing the bad guy: Murli Sharma

TV actor Murli Sharma talks about television and B-Town journey, wife Ashwini and more in a candid chat.
Are you satisfied with your journey as an actor? l In the 90s, people would offer me jobs in production and laughed at my dream of becoming an actor. They said I would never make it because of my looks. Today, fortunately, I can laugh at them! I have enjoyed playing the villain as much as I have enjoyed doing comedies like Golmaal 3.I would say Maqbool and Apaharanremain my best performances in films, while playing a eunuch in Rishtey on TV was equally challenging and satisfying. I am happy to have reached a position where I can say ‘no’ to scripts that I don’t like.
Have you ever felt typecast? There was a phase when I was playing the cop too often. So, I told filmmakers that even if I play one, I wouldn’t don the uniform! But that phase is over and I am getting to play diverse characters now. No one is bigger than the script and most filmmakers have realized that. There’s more scope now for character actors like us.
Tell us about your stint in TV. l I enjoyed doing certain shows, but my childhood dream was to be known as a film actor. Doing TV shows gets very hectic and I see Ashwini go through it.
What are your upcoming projects? I am doing a film called Rock in Love, a love story where I play a property dealer. Then there’s a remake of Dead on Arrival where I play a bad cop, Dussehra which has both me and Ashwini, Atul Agnihotri’s O Teri and a couple of South Indian films.
Who are your closest friends in the industry? I owe a lot to Deepak Tijori, who came into my life at a time when I was doing bits and pieces roles for Rs 1000! It’s only because of him that I got that landmark role in Rishtey. There were days when I slept at his office if I got late while shooting. I hope I can repay him in some way! I have come up the hard way and value my friendships a lot.
It must help that your wife is from the same profession? Yes. We discuss work when needed but otherwise, we are just like any other regular couple who have their share of fights. But none of us are judgemental and that’s the best part about our bond. Besides, she is a fabulous actress and I loved her performances in Phoonk, Johnny Gaddar and Golmaal Returns. In fact, Phoonk is the only horror film I have watched till date. I get very scared watching such films!