Bollywood actor Sharman Joshi, whose latest film "The Least of These: The Graham Staines Story" is based on the real-life incident of the late Australian Christian missionary Graham Staines, believes that extremism should always be discouraged.
The film is based on Staines, who worked among the underprivileged and leprosy victims in Odisha. In 1999, he was burnt to death along with his two sons allegedly by the members of a hardline Hindu organisation inside his station wagon in Manoharpur village in Kendujhar district of the state.
Talking about the relevance of the film in the present time, Sharman told IANS here: "The incident happened in reality and the story was so compelling that I felt the need of telling it in the atmosphere of extremism that we are living in in recent times. Though the incident took place in 1999, I think it still holds relevance."
"That film sets out to give the message that any form of extremism is a threat to humanity and that tolerance is the key to harmony," said the actor.
Directed by Aneesh Daniel, "The Least of These: The Graham Staines Story" is slated for release on March 29.
The actor has been part of films such as "Rang De Basanti", "Golmaal", "Life in a... Metro" and "3 Idiots".
While most of his movies have received positive response from the critics and the audience, Sharman has not been seen much in the recently released successful films.
"While it is great to know that people consider me a good actor and want to see me more on-screen, I know that I came from nowhere. I was doing theatre when I got my first film based on my merit," he said.
"In fact, I have got all my films based on my merit and that is all I can do. I cannot control the opportunity or the fate of a film.
"Bollywood is a success-driven industry where the actor only plays a part in a film. At times, people had appreciated my performance but the film did not work at the box office," he added.
So does he believe that talent is not enough to achieve success in Bollywood?
"I think when a filmmaker is looking for a specific actor, it does not matter to him or her if the actor comes from their inner circle or not. But I am not complaining about those who prefer to work within a circle because in creative collaborations, matching the wavelength is also important," said the "Kaashi in Search of Ganga" actor.
"We tend to work with people we like. That is also fair," he added.
Asked how he finds the ease to perform in different mediums, the actor said: "I think talent is not in our hands. It is the gift of the Almighty. But of course I am making the effort of nurturing my talent and working on my craft constantly so that I can bring more nuances in my performance.
"But the inherent talent is something that we all are born with. I am thankful to God."