I am scared of heights : Riteish Deshmukh

Riteish Deshmukh will be seen playing a college principal in his upcoming comedy film F.A.L.T.U. The actor chats up withSreya Basu in Mumbai

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So you will again be seen in a comedy film?

F.A.L.T.U is a young and unique film. And I am glad that I got to play a young college principal (Baaji Rao) in this film; like my status is the film says?kuch karne ko tha nehin toh faltu mein principal ban gaya.

Can you elaborate on your character?

As I told you, that I play a young principal, who is a little elder to the students, but can rightly fit in as their friend and guide. He tells his students that excelling in studies is not the only achievement in life, but there are other spheres where the youths need to be encouraged too. I direct them to the right directions in my own way.

The word?faltu means worthless. Has anyone so far used the term for you?

May be. I don?t know if anyone has called me?faltu behind my back. How will I know? But thankfully no one has called me?faltu on my face so far. Anyone can say anything behind my back. Doesn?t matter. However, as a child, many a time, I was told?ke faltu mein cricket kyu khel rahen ho? Faltu mein kyu time waste kar rahen ho? Jake homework karo.

Can you remember one time you did something that was you thought?faltu?

There are so many things. I am very scared of heights, so much so that if I stand on a chair, I feel scared to get down?I have a phobia. When I was in New York, I went for skydiving. I jumped from 17,000 feet. That time I thought was?faltugiri I am doing and why am I was doing it! May be, I thought by doing these things, I will conquer my fear. After I dived and landed below, I was fine; but I couldn?t go for a second jump?.I was so scared. So then I realized,?faltu mein jump?maar di maine. I am still scared of heights (laughs).

You are playing a principal in?F.A.L.T.U. Did your school/college principal ever thrash you for your?faltugiri?

No, I was a good student, yaar. Neither my principals nor my parents ever thrashed me for anything. But I am sure, when I joined films, many people thought?kya faltugiri kar raha hai. But I enjoyed myself?I still do. And so, am proud of my?faltugiri.

But of late, we are not seeing you in too many films?

That?s why I chopped off my hair?abhi film nehin hai toh faltu mein baal kaat liya. (Laughs). I get what you meant. Before I did this film, I might have felt bad if anyone called me?faltu. But now it feels cool because here we showed that it?s not bad, but good to be a?faltu.

There are numerous reports on your linkups recently. What do you have to say?

Kuch toh log kahenge; logon ka kaam hai kehna.

With whom do you think you make the hottest pair?

Sajid Khan (filmnmaker). We make a good couple. When we both wear green clothes, we look evergreen. (Jokingly)