Bollywood actor Sanjay Mishra says he wants to play a longer innings in the field of cinema as an all-rounder who displays his skills in films ranging from a gritty drama like Vadh to a commercial entertainer like Cirkus.

While Vadh is slated to be released on Friday, Cirkus will hit the screens on December 23.

“Balancing is fun. Films come and go. Some do a business of Rs 200-400 crore. Then there are some films that don’t break even. These other films will only be successful when the audience will flock to the theatres to watch them,” said the actor.

“Vadh is a Test match. And even after all these years, Rohit sir asked me to wear a pad and get a bat. He told me, ‘Let's play T-20’. So, you have to become a cricketer who can play both Test and T-20 matches,” he added.

Set in Gwalior, Vadh revolves around a simple family that finds itself at the centre of the investigation of a gruesome murder. The film is written and directed by Jaspal Singh Sandhu and Rajeev Barnwal, respectively.

The Darbhanga-born actor said he could fit in both big-budget comedies like the Golmaal movies and acclaimed social dramas such as Ankhon Dekhi and Kaamyaab.

Saying yes to Vadh, also starring Neena Gupta, was a no-brainer for Sanjay when the makers said they wrote the film with him in mind. “I listened to the story and found it to be very interesting. Then I was told that Neena ji is also in the film and that we will shoot it in Gwalior. There were many reasons to board the project,” said the 59-year-old actor.

The National School of Drama alumnus also said people would relate to the film because the character who is carrying the story is also a common person. “We search for films in our daily life. If something happens on the road, people also want to know what happened.”

The upcoming movie, Sanjay said, was a challenge for both him and his fans. “I had never received an offer to work in a film like this, so I had to say yes. It’s not only a challenge for me but also for the audience who tend to only look at me as a comedian. I think I have done a decent job. Now the viewers will tell me if I made the right decision or should I only stick to doing what I do in comedy films.”

After Vadh, the actor hopes to entertain the section of the audience that always looks forward to his comedy outings. He has previously worked with Shetty in films such as Zameen, the Golmaal comedy franchise and Dilwale to name a few.

Sanjay said there was something refreshing about working with the director. “A film like Cirkus is also my playground. Rohit Shetty has high hopes for me and I have high hopes for him. And the audience has high hopes from both of us. This is a fun film without logic and with lots of laughter.”

Vadh is backed by J Studio and Next Level Production. Filmmaker Luv Ranjan’s Luv Films is presenting the film.