Bollywood, his big dream

``VERY NICE,'' is his instant reply when you ask Cyrus Sahukar, how has one year of MTV been for him.

``I realised that there's a lot more to MTV than just music. It's been great,'' adds MTV's second edition of Cyrus, the new kid in the box, who popped out of the channel's VJ Hunt last year.

``I was just called for an audition, they asked me to come to Mumbai...,'' he continues. And that's where he discovered his fetish for milk?

``I have no fetish for milk. I'm lactose intolerant. It's just one episode that I did where they wanted me to play a superhero. Instead of the usual Superman, I played the doodhwala, asking people to drink milk. It was fun but weird, going around like that, the reactions are very arbitrary. It was a good trip,'' he recollects.

So it was sheer co-incidence that he got a milkman tag attached to him. But what really excites Cyrus more than milk is theatre. Ever since his days in an all boys school, he's been exposed to a ``lot of theatre''.

``It was bad theatre. Your parents come and see, so you always get clapped. Only when I was in 9th standard when I worked for Barry John, I realised what theatre actually was. Then I assisted Roshan Abbas with `Starlight Express', did a few radio shows, worked with event management...But primarily, the maximum input I got was from theatre,'' Cyrus reveals his passion for theatre where he always got to play villain.

``Villains are great characters. They are interesting. They get to have most of the fun,'' he says.

``I learnt there were no small roles, only small actors. In Mumbai, after I joined MTV, I have learnt to learn. I'm always open to learning. I have gratitude for a lot of things in life,'' he says quite philosophically.

``I want to make films. Luckily in Mumbai, I've seen a lot of good films. I want to make a feel-good film, it doesn't mean a happy ending. Technically, I don't know anything. And MTV is helping me learn just that,'' he says.

No, Cyrus doesn't want to act in films rightaway. ``If I don't do a show well, people might forgive and forget it, thinking I wasn't well that day. But in cinema, there are no two takes. There's no second chance,'' he reasons.

In fact, Cyrus did get a couple of offers. But he hasn't really let recognition get to his head. ``My profession doesn't make me greater. It's just that my job shows me to more people,'' he says.

Though he does think ``Hindi cinema rocks'', he just wants to see the tribe of `Hyderabad Blues', `Bombay Boys', `Dollar Dreams' increase. ``I really hope films like that do well, they will open up a big market. Thousands of talented people will get jobs,'' he says.

``Look at the industry, it is dominated by old people or by their family members - Abhishek, Hrithik, Isha Deol, Kareena and the like. Where will a new face fit in,'' Cyrus asks.

``I want to make a movie about normal people with dreams. Think of the worst before you start something. If it happens good. If it doesn't it's okay, start again. You'll get it someday,'' believes the Guru Dutt fan.

By Sudhish Kamath

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Section  : Entertainment