This writer’s first brush with actor Ashish Vidyarthi was watching him play menacing gangster David in the Suniel Shetty-starrer Bhai. The role was a refreshing break from the rampant over-the-top-bordering-on-comical villains of the ‘90s, and the local don sent shivers down many a spine. After a career comprising over 300 films in 11 languages—most of them negative roles—the veteran is acting funny. Literally. He’s trying stand-up. A comfort with “rootlessness” lies at the heart of Vidyarthi’s desire to try out a new art form at 57 years of age.

We are at his Goregaon residence, and he fusses over our comfort while figuring the best angle for the photojournalist. “I throw roots wherever I go,” he says. “I love to stride in and try out new things. I started with theatre in Delhi, moved to Hindi movies, then tried my hand at South Indian cinema. I’m a hunter-gatherer.” The exact moment his interest in comedy awakened was when he signed up for the on-going web series Sunflower, a dark comedy.