Wasn't a planned decision to stay away from films: Darsheel Safary

Actor Darsheel Safary, of Taare Zameen Par fame, was last seen on the big screen in the 2012 film Midnight's Children. Now 20 years old, the former child actor is set to return to the big screen with Quickie, to be helmed by Pradip Atluri.

Asked if he quit films five years ago to focus on studies, Darsheel says "It wasn't a conscious decision to stay away. We were figuring out. I told dad that I wanted to study in a college and have fun too; so I took a break."

But the star didn't completely break ties with the medium. "I did short films and wrote some scripts. I still have incomplete scripts. I don't know when I will complete them. Then I participated in college festivals. That was another high. I did commercial theatre (Can I Help You?) a while ago," says the HR College student.

Any directorial aspirations? "I haven't decided. Acting and dancing come naturally to me. I've been doing all that since I was 9. So I've kept acting on top of my list. I had a blast directing and writing. I've watched so many films and I am trying to understand the technical aspects of filmmaking. But I will think about it after I make a place in the industry," says the Bumm Bumm Bole actor.

Also, on the progress of Quickie, Darsheel says, "It is shaping up beautifully. We announced it in February. There is no release date as of now. They (the film's makers) are taking their time to make it into a wholesome product. When I heard the story, I thought a 17 or 18-year-old must have written it. When I found out it was a 40-year-old man, I was like 'Are you kidding me?' Relationship, dating, clubbing, pressure from parents... All these aspects get shown so well," he says.

He will be sharing screen space with actress Palak. "Acting is in her genes. She easily picks up lines... I was just happy that she could pull it off so well," says Darsheel.

Apart from the film, he is also thrilled about becoming the face of the festival, The Harry Potter Film Series, which will commence this Sunday. "The main aim of the festival is to spread awareness about the franchise among the masses. A large population in India does not watch English films," he said.

And so, the Hindi dubbed version would reach out to a wider audience who would likely root for its Indian adaptation, he feels.

"There would be nothing better than to play Harry Potter. I wasn't a fan of the books. I became a fan after the movies. From 2001 to 2011, I used to wait to learn about the events of Harry Potter's life. I also loved the direction.. There were different directors, but I'm a huge fan of David Yates particularly," he adds.

The festival will conclude on November 5 with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the last instalment in the successful franchise.