"I was not getting good work as an actor and I don't want to act just for the sake of it. I had a couple of films in the past but I realised I had a good production house to fall back on. I thought let me direct, let me produce," he told PTI.
Sohail, 46, said he would act only if he gets good roles otherwise he would stick with directing and producing movies as he finds they come naturally to him.
When asked about who inspires him the most in terms of filmmaking, Sohail said, "I am a huge fan of Rajkumar Hirani. He really works hard on his scripts and knows how to present an inspiring story with entertainment which is his USP.
"He has so far made four films in ten years and each of his films is better than the other one and it is unbelievable. I've learnt a lot from his movies."
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While talking about "Freaky Ali," he said, "I wanted to make a film on sports for a long time because I have a huge interest in that. I came across the idea of golf and thought of weaving it into reality with the help of my film's writer, Raaj Shaandilyaa.
"Freaky Ali" is a story of a debt collector (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) who becomes a golfing sensation. It also stars Arbaaz Khan, Amy Jackson and Jas Arora.
The film will hit theatres on September 9.