It was when he was a little boy of about eight that Wilson Bikram Rai had gotten his first taste of the world of cinema, having been given a small role in the Rajesh Hamal-starrer Saathi when the film was shot in his hometown of Jhapa. And it was a world he couldn’t detach from. Taken with the idea of becoming an actor, Rai had run away to Kathmandu at the age of 12, hoping to find a way into the industry. Of course, things weren’t that easy, and he was compelled to return home soon after, but he was far from giving up hope. With a great deal of hard work and determination in the years after, he finally found success. Today, his character Takme Buda in the TV series Meri Bassai, and his roles in films like Saayad and Producer, have made him a household name of sorts and attested to his talents as an actor. Rajita Dhungana caught up with Rai to chat about his life, travels and hobbies. Excerpts:

What are you up to these days?

I’m presently shooting for a new movie called Adhakatti. I’ve also recently wrapped up work on another film, Killa. Other than that, two projects—My Promise and Sakash—are both ready, and should be released sometime soon. I’m also preparing for a stand-up show to take place in Qatar, and once that’s over and done with, there’s another show in the UK as well. So it’s a fairly busy time for me, but I’m not one to complain.

What about when you’re not working? What do you like to do?

I enjoy staying occupied. So when I’m not working, I often end up feeling guilty about wasting time. But, of course, I find ways to engage myself productively somehow. I’m passionate about cooking, so I do that every now and then. Usually, I’ll invite friends over to taste what I’ve made. I enjoy that, cooking for people, although I don’t know if they always like my cooking or not. I have gotten rave reviews for my sukuti, though, so at least I have a crowd-pleaser in my pocket.

You’re fond of cooking, but what about eating? What are your favourite dishes?

The dishes I like most are all sourced from traditional Nepali cuisine, comprising elements that are spicy. Earlier, when I had just started going out, I was very experimental, eating and tasting anything I could. I found a lot of things that I absolutely relished, but I wasn’t a big fan of Chinese sweet dishes and Turkish lamb kebab—even though they certainly look delicious, they’re a bit too intensely sweet for me. But now I’ve returned to my roots. If I could, I’d eat rice and tarkari for breakfast, dinner and lunch, every single day.

Your work involves a lot of traveling. Do you have any places that you’ve loved more than others?

Yes, I’ve certainly been around, and I’m always overwhelmed by how many people attend my shows, so each place is special in that way. I go to the UK, Japan, Australia and Hong Kong almost every year, and out of these, Hong Kong and Japan are my favourites. People are so welcoming there, and they really feel like home. Besides, I could very easily pass off as one of the locals in these places, which makes it easier to blend in.

Has anything memorable happened in the course of your travels that you’d like to share with us?

While traveling to Israel from the UK a few years back, I’d had a transit stopover in Turkey. When I came out, I saw one of the airport’s staff members standing, holding a board with my name on it, and I was asked to follow him. They ushered me into a vehicle, and drove me to a grand hotel, where I was given a very nice room. It was only later on that I realised they were giving me the VIP treatment because I’d applied for an entertainer’s visa. The hotel I was staying at was where all big celebrities were taken to, and I actually saw a few ‘stars’ from the Middle East and the UK there. People kept asking me repeatedly whether I was Korean or Chinese—Gangnam Style was very popular at the time, so they might have mistaken me for someone else. It was a great 11 hours of feeling like royalty, although I was so dazzled I couldn’t really get any sleep.

If not an actor, what do you think you would have become today?

I’d probably have gone mad. No, really, acting has been the only thing I’ve thought of doing since I was a child. I was infected early on by the ‘filmonia virus’ and I couldn’t even consider doing anything else. There was so much inspiration all around me—acting greats like Neer Shah, Hari Bansha Acharya and Dilip Rayamajhi—each of whom taught me something or the other. And I see myself directing at some future point, after I’ve gained enough experience and expertise. I don’t even want to think about what I’d have become if I hadn’t found this.

You have fans all around the world…have there ever been any funny fan-related incidents?

I was performing in London this one time, and I’d come onstage as Takme Buda. After my bit was done, I went off and came back as Takme Buda’s grandson. But when the show came to an end, an old lady actually came up to me and inquired after my grandfather, asking me to take care of him. It was both sweet and funny that she thought the characters were real.

Do you have any regrets at all?

See, I’d always dreamt of becoming an actor, and I’m living that dream right now. I have fans who’ve shown me so much love and respect, and I’m absolutely crazy about my job. So no, no regrets. So long as life treats me as kindly as it has so far, I really couldn’t want anything different