Saqib Saleem on playing a spoilt brat in Mere Dad Ki Maruti and being Huma Qureshi’s little brother

You debuted with YRF’s Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge and now you are doing Mere Dad Ki Maruti with them. That must be quite a comfort zone…

Of course I know the set-up, but it does give me confidence that these guys have enough confidence in me to want to repeat me. I am working with more or less the same team and that’s a comforting thing. That’s a good morale-booster. Par film toh film hoti hai and at the end of the day, the audience has to like it.

From the promos, your character seems like a lot of fun…

It’s a film where you will come in and have fun... that’s guaranteed. I play a 22-23-year-old guy called Sameer Khullar. He stays in Chandigarh and hails from a loud Punjabi family. My dad (Ram Kapoor) and I don’t share a great equation and he thinks that duniya ka sabse bada nikamma uska beta hai! The son always wants to prove that he is worthy of responsibility but everything he does backfires on him. When Sameer’s sister gets married, the dad plans to give her a Maruti car, but somehow the son makes off with it to impress the college hottie that he’s been eyeing for a year now (played by MTV VJ Rhea Chakraborty). But when the car goes missing, he’s in trouble. Now, Sameer has three days to get the car back. It’s a madcap comedy.

Growing up, did you get into trouble like this?

Ya, ya… I took off with my dad’s car a few 100 times… I think everybody does that, na? Growing up in Delhi, we would slide out from the terrace after the whole house had gone off to sleep and go partying. The film has so many moments that have happened in my own life or that I have heard happening to my friends or their friends. It’s a film that all young people can relate to.

Being a Delhi boy, was it easier playing a guy from Chandigarh?

In a way, yes. But I also did a month-long workshop to get into character. We had to work on the attitude and also the look because most Chandigarh guys have long hair. Ever since I got into this profession, I have been clear that I don’t want to look the hero-hero kind. I am okay with looking ugly on screen as long as I look the character I am playing.

You are also doing Karan Johar’s short film Bombay Talkies…

I have shot for it… just the dubbing is pending. It’s come out good and Karan’s very happy. I am not allowed to talk anymore about Bombay Talkies at this time.

Do you and your sister Huma Qureshi advise each other on films?

Yes, of course. We stay in the same house, we eat together and we watch and discuss films all the time. That happens 24x7. We keep discussing and advising each other… it’s fun to be her little brother and I am very proud that she’s doing well in films.