Young admirers ask Milind Soman for his autograph on the sets of Vakaalat. He stares, gives his sweetest, toothy smile and says: "Sure!" He signs off, `Love, Milind Soman', smiles again and says: "You don't mind my writing `love', do you?" This has the desired effect: the girls blush and gush, "No." Anindita Dutta Roy talks to the star of Margarita and Vaqaalat - a man desperate to be recognised as an actor and not Model Milind.How do you feel being labelled a `wooden actor'?I don't mind. I'm still learning to act, so I obviously can't hope to be called a Humphrey Bogart right away. But now I think people have started saying good things about my acting. My mother called me up some time back to say that Sunday carried a nice piece on me.So you actually follow all that is written about you?I don't bother about the bad write-ups. But yes, I do like reading the good ones.So, do you watch your serials regularly, too?I don't watch much TV. I prefer talking to others about my work - what they thought was bad, what they thought was good. As for my serials, I watch them more during shooting - on the monitor, that is.Do you feel nervous acting in Vakaalat opposite such seasoned actors like Manohar Singh and Lillette Dubey?No. That's because I find the presence of experienced actors to be a boon as they always help you out with some handy tips.What about you acting as a lawyer educated at Harvard? Did you actually spend time researching the role or watching serials like L.A. Law?I always spend a lot of time thinking and understanding my roles.For instance, in Margarita you will see my character through a span of around 25 years. Ideally, I would have loved to have the script much in advance, but I usually get my dialogues right on the sets in Goa.Vakaalat is a different ballgame. It has lengthy dialogues and I play a struggling lawyer with an evil streak. So I see to it that I get my dialogues at least a week in advance.Do you stand in front of the mirror and practice your dialogues?I don't need a mirror. I am always reciting and practicing my dialogues. Sometimes, weeks after a particular scene has been shot, you'll still find me mouthing my dialogues.What about your modelling career? Is that priority no. 2 now?I don't do shows anymore, only a few print campaigns I find exciting. Modelling still pays me the best and the recognition it gets you is amazing.Does it irk you if you go somewhere and get a few cold shoulders?Never happened to me. Even if I visit a film set where you have all the stars hovering around, I have always been noticed.Do you regret missing out on acting in Amol Palekar's Daarya?Yes, definitely. Amol is a very nice man and Daayra will always be a film I wish I could have done.What about other films?I haven't got any good or exciting offers.What about your role in Captain Vyom, your first serial slated for DD1?That's an exciting role. It's a sci-fi and I play the protagonist who is something like a crime-fighter.That is also the serial in which Madhu Sapre and you team up for the first time?Well, she was there in the pilot episode in which she played one of the 12 villains. I don't know what happened after that because we haven't started shooting for Captain Vyom yet.So how long do you see yourself in this line?As long as I can. I enjoy acting, I love acting. It's so addictive.
