During a scene, I was supposed to react to Manoj Bajpayee ji’s line when suddenly, Prakash ji called out a loud “Cut!” He walked up to me and asked me to repeat my expression.

“Kar ke dikhao.” — I did.

“Thoda kam.” — I toned it down.

“Thoda aur.” — I reduced further.

“Aur.” — Okay… even less.

“Aur.” — Wait… how much less?

“Aur.” — Now there’s almost nothing left!

I couldn’t help but wonder—why did I have to cut down my expression six times?

Abhay Deol had been quietly observing me. Later, he shared a simple yet profound tip: “Just run the emotion in your mind, and it will automatically reflect on your face. You don’t need to ‘do’ anything else.”

That moment was a turning point in my understanding of acting. Every film, every role—big or small—became a stepping stone, shaping me as an artist.