Jim Sarbh has built a career on characters who refuse to be ordinary - the calculating businessman, the reluctant hero, the man history remembers for the wrong reasons. In Made In India: A Titan Story, he steps into the shoes of a real entrepreneur who built one of India's most iconic consumer brands from scratch, with no prior experience in the watch business and nothing but conviction to go on.

The Cine Buzz caught up with the Mumbai-based actor, producer, and founder of Wonderful Entertainment to talk about the making of the show, his philosophy on choosing roles, and what's coming up next in what promises to be a busy year.

1. Your portrayal of Xerxes Desai in Made In India: A Titan Story has been widely appreciated. What drew you to this project and the character?

"The story was incredibly interesting to me - a man, so late in his career, who knew nothing about watches, decided to take on building a watch brand as a challenge, simply because he was certain he could. That kind of belief, perseverance, and team-building instinct was very attractive to me as an actor. The fact that his mentor was JRD Tata, and that we got to see how he ran his company, was fascinating in itself.

(Image Credit: Jim Sarbh in the series | Amazon MX Player)

The conviction of our producers, Sunil and Prabhleen of Almighty Motion Pictures, was contagious. They loved this story and wanted to tell it faithfully and excitingly. The values the company upheld are beautiful, and honestly a good lesson for all of us - that people matter more than processes. Our director, Robbie Grewal, was equally convinced, and the team he assembled - Aditya Kapur behind the camera, Vishakha and Jo on costumes, Rachna and Naidita Singh on production design, and everyone else - were all so committed. We knew we had something special. And the cast - Vaibhav, Lakshvir, Kaveri, Namita, Joy, everyone - were intelligent, funny, and sincere. Honestly, it was a pleasure."

2. What kind of preparation went into bringing this real-life story to the screen?

"Most of the heavy lifting was done by Karan Vyas and his team of writers. They based the screenplay on the book Titan: Inside India's Most Successful Consumer Brand by Vinay Kamath, and had done extensive research to get the details right. They really wanted to make a wholesome show.

On my end, I watched interviews the producers had shot with people who had worked at Titan, and with people who had worked closely with Xerxes, and that helped me understand just how charismatic and committed he really was. Doing a period piece always brings its own set of challenges, and Robbie and the team put in real effort to get the look and feel of an earlier Bombay just right."

(Image Credit: Avani Rai)

3. From Neerja to Padmaavat, Rocket Boys, Gangubai Kathiawadi, and now Made In India: A Titan Story - how do you choose roles that challenge you as an actor?

"I choose roles I like - that's really it. If a role challenges me, that only makes it better. I want to strive towards something, and I want the role to take up my mental space. A challenge makes the end result all the more sweet. I love playing characters who are better than me, smarter than me, gentler than me. It gives me a chance to see the world through their eyes, and I hope they go on living in me in enriching ways."

4. What did you learn from portraying a story rooted in Indian entrepreneurship and innovation?

"As the title of the book suggests, Titan went on to become one of India's most successful consumer brands. What I love is the full circle the journey takes - from being rejected by a famous watch company, to eventually buying that very company. It shows what a small, committed group of people can achieve if they believe in themselves, build their team with care, and have the resources to get the right equipment and factories in place."

5. You've consistently chosen unconventional and memorable roles. What guides your selection process?

"Mostly, I just have to like the script and my role within it. Sometimes I want to work with a particular producer, director, or actor - there's no one fixed rule. If the blueprint of the character on paper feels like it has the potential to be exciting to play, I leap at it."

6. What advice would you give to aspiring actors looking to build a long-lasting career in the industry?

"Act in whatever you like - don't worry about all the noise. Explore every medium: short films, theatre, web series, films, like your life depends on it. Explore different genres too, even if that means intentionally saying no to similar roles for a while - if you can afford to, of course. And if you can't afford to, just keep going. Do it all."

7. If you could revisit one character from your career and explore that role further, which one would it be?

"Honestly, I'm happiest on the day I'm cast, and I'm happiest on the last day of shooting. I invest heavily in a role, and I'm very glad to have that mental space back for myself and the people around me once it's done. I wouldn't revisit a character."

8. After the success of projects like Rocket Boys and Made In India: A Titan Story, what exciting projects can audiences look forward to next?

"I have Mira Nair's Amri, Atlee's Raaka, and two other unannounced projects later this year to look forward to. All four are wildly different from each other, and I love that."