The Happy Soul Festival, a celebration of film, arts and music, aiming to raise awareness of well-being and mental health in Black and minority ethnic groups, returns to venues across the region this month.

Supporting the event is celebrated Indian actor, Saaed Jaffrey, who will talk at the Battersea Arts Centre about his career and role in the new film, Open Secrets, about a young man with bipolar disorder.

He talks to Kate Finburg about star signs, Slumdog Millionaire and Michael Caine.

“I am a Capricorn and you are a Virgo, that’s why we get on,” announces Jaffrey, to which I am pretty chuffed about seeing as he is a world famous, OBE bestowed actor and I am a mere Leisure writer.

“We Capricorns are climbers of Everest, the more difficult the route, the more challenging for us and the more we want to do it,” he says.

“I wanted to be the first Asian actor on Broadway, I did it, I wanted to be the first Asian actor to perform Shakespeare, I did it, I wanted to be the first Asian in Hollywood, I achieved all of these and its been a great journey.”

The engaging 80 year old is full of stories about his long career and his talk is one of the highlights of the Happy Soul Festival.

“Mental health in Asian and African communities is a problem, we want to raise awareness, to let people know it’s not unsolvable it can be an open secret and to seek help if they need it.

“Film is a good way of reaching out to people because everyone likes going to the cinema don’t they?”

Jaffrey is full of praise for the recent hit film Slumdog Millionaire: “I liked it very much, it was beautifully shot and the children were wonderful. I think it will help make Bollywood movies become more mainstream.”

Having appeared in over 100 Bollywood movies, Jaffrey left India in 1978 and spent ten years in America before settling in England with his agent and wife of 30 years, Jennifer (His first wife is celebrated Indian food writer, and Leo, Madhur Jaffrey).

He has starred in some epic films including My Beautiful Laundrette and Richard Attenborough’s eight times Oscar winning movie, Ghandi, alongside Ben Kingsley.

“Richard was brilliant. Directors who have previously been actors no exactly how actors feel. I will never forget what he said to Ben - “It doesn’t matter if its the 12th take, I won’t say cut until you’re satisfied,” he got great performances from everyone.”

Who else has Jaffrey enjoyed working with?

“Michael Caine is a lovely man (puts on an impeccable Caine accent) he once said to me, “Saeed, if you’re playing one of the lead roles, get to know the entire company by their first name.

“We filmed The Man Who Would Be King together and Caine asked some gofer where the chair was with my name on it, Sean (Connery) and Michael both had chairs. This guy said, “ he can sit on a stool, Indian’s are used to sitting anywhere.” Well Michael stewed for two days and on the third day went mad at this guy calling him a (rude word) racist - after half an hour I had a chair with my name on it.”

Another British institution, Coronation Street, wasn’t so supportive of Jaffrey, axeing his charcter after an alledged drunken incident on a train: “Jenny and I were called to Manchester to be told I was being written out of Coronation Street. I said, that will be a first, usually people write me in!”

Saeed Jaffrey will talk at the Battersea Arts Centre on March 30, 6.30pm. Free. Call 020 8682 5977 or visit happysoulfestival.co.uk for more information and details of other screenings.