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.