When my dream of making a film got fulfilled

A page from the personal diary of Parmeet Sethi I was taking a casual stroll down the beach with my wife and a friend, when my cell phone rang. It flashed Aditya Chopra's number. I was kind of surprised because usually Adi smses first and then calls. I took the call, slightly nervous and worried. Little did I know that the call was about the biggest break in my career! He told me he liked my script and wanted to make a film based on that. I was left speechless...so much that I passed on the phone to Archana to check if I was hearing him right or not! That is how Badmaash Company happened and that is how a television actor became a film director. It was almost like a dream sequence from a film. I often sit back and think about how and when my interest in directing movies started. I guess when I was doing television shows I always had that extra interest in the work that went in behind the camera. But when you are young and have other responsibilities, you cannot do everything you want to. You are often driven by the situation around you. I could not just quit my stable acting career and become a director. There were too many responsibilities on my shoulder. I had to be a responsible husband to Archana and a good father to my kids. So I waited and did not disturb my acting career till I turned 40. And that is when I started to actively pursue my dream. With my life I have realised one thing that when you have the opportunity in front of you, never let that go because you will regret it later. I must say, Badmaash Company is a dream-come-true for me, something that would not have happened without my family, particularly my wife. As she jokingly says, “I have invested my life in you. Now is the time when I should sit back and enjoy." People do ask me what next? Am I going to leave my acting career and become a full time director? Well, to be honest, acting will take a backseat now because directing is my main profession now. This is a new venture for me and I need to give more time to this. After finishing one film and starting another if I get time, I will act. I have also written a romantic-adventure script. Let us see when that materialises.