"Nazim Rizvi gave me just one answer which was so satisfying that I felt as if I got answers to all my questions" - Rajpal Yadav 
By IndiaFM News Bureau, February 9, 2007 - 09:38 IST
Rajpal Yadav may have started off his career with comedy roles but now he has also moved into doing serious lead performances. He gets appreciated for his
performance in every film and now, Rajpal is portraying the story of a real life man accused of raping his own daughters in Undertrail. In an exclusive interview to
IndiaFM he speaks about Undertrail and his role in the film.
Tell us about your role in Undertrial.
Undertrial is the story of a father, who is accused of raping his three daughters. This film is based on a real story which has happened three-four years ago. That
person has come from Lucknow to Mumbai and was staying with his family here and then whatever has happened in whatever way is the story of this film. Through this
character, I have got the chance of experiencing life from the age of twenty-five to fifty-five.
It is said that the film is inspired by real life story, so did you actually meet that person while preparing for the role?
No, I was not able to meet him but the way Mr Rizvi and Mr Aziz Khan have worked on each and every aspect, every detail of this character, the way we have tried to
portray each and every dimension of this character, I feel that I know this character very well. I feel that if we meet someday unknowingly and if we talk even for five
minutes, I can identify him easily, I can recognize that the person might be Sagar Hussain.
This is probably the first time that you will be seen in an out and out serious role. How difficult was it for you as an actor to portray this character?
In 1987, I first acted in a play and then in 1997 I came to Mumbai and now year 2006 has just finished, so I would say that whatever roles, characters I have played in
these eighteen-nineteen years, this role is the most exciting, important and totally different than all of them. I wanted to do such kind of role since a long time. But I got
that chance only now with all of your blessings and I feel very lucky for that.
| I feel that if I meet Sagar Hussain someday even unknowingly I will identify him
easily |
People have seen you mainly in comedy roles till now. So how do you think will the audiences react to see you in the role of Sagar Hussain in Undertrail?
I have never thought of the audiences’ reaction, I have just tried to do my work wholeheartedly and honestly and make my strategy after seeing the reaction not before
that. Once the copy is out, then only we can get the marks, and those marks are more important. And if we get same marks every time or get the same questions every
time then neither the audience will be happy nor the actors.
From last thirteen-fourteen years, the time is running so fast, and each person has understood the world in three dimensional way, we have converted this whole world in
a small village, people do not want to touch a thing second time after using it for once. As an actor, we get this liberty and I feel good about that. I want the audiences to
laugh and also to cry seeing my performance. I think that whatever you do, you should do it honestly, you should have proper conviction doing that and your message
should get communicated easily to the audience. I always try to communicate through my performance to the audiences and the second thing is that in cinema, its not up
to you to decide whether you want to do comedy or tragedy, it is up to the director; whatever he gives you to do in whichever film, the base of that is entertainment,
something which should not disappear even if the film is serious, negative, positive or comedy. The entertainment base of a film should always be retained and you will
see that in Undertrial as well.
| I grew up watching Kader Khan and Prem Chopra films so it was great to have their
support in this film |
There are some senior actors in the film like Kader Khan and Prem Chopra. How was the experience of working with them and also with other co-stars in the film?
From producer to spot boy, and on every level, whether it is on the background or on the foreground, everyone is as important as the characters of the film. I thank to
each and everyone of them. Mr Rizvi has worked on this film considering it his own child; Mr Aziz Khan has done a lot of work and has designed the film very well.
Kader Khan and Prem Chopra are very senior to me and I have grown up watching their films. Hence, I felt very good to have their support. Monica has also given a
brilliant performance which supported my character very well. Everybody who is in this film be it the inmates of Thane jail or be it the police officers, all of them fit in
their characters. I would therefore like to thank everyone involved in the making of this film and also the media who is co-operating with us.
| Nazim Rizvi gave me just one answer which was so satisfying that I felt as if I got
answers to all my questions |
Nazim Rizvi has a controversial past due to his last film Chori Chori Chupke Chupke. So, were you hesitant before signing this film with him?
If one person is accused with any charge and second person comes to see him, definitely the second person has some questions in his mind about the first person and I
asked those questions to Nazim Rizvi. He gave me just one answer which was so satisfying that I felt as if I got answers to all my questions.
I think that it is our legislative system’s responsibility to handle whatever charges were filed against Nazim Rizvi. Whatever happened to him, whatever he had done, we
all should not interfere in that but the court has given the chance to a person to live normal life in society. Nazim Rizvi has spent three years of his life in jail, because of
which he got the idea of making Undertrial. And after coming back to the society, he has decided to make a movie. If he would have had any doubt or if he would
have made this film with any wrong motivation then he wouldn’t have mentioned his name as the producer of this film. He knows that the whole country will read that
name through this movie. Anybody can go and ask him a question about this movie, about the making of this movie since he has given his name to this movie.
As far as working with him is concerned, as an artist, I feel that if I wouldn’t have done this film, someone else would have done it. The film does not get completed just
with one person, hundreds of lives are involved in it, and I consider myself as one of those members. I would say that whatever work I have done till date, with whichever
producer, Nazim Rizvi is amongst those few producers whom I respect a lot, he is no less than even 1% by them. He is very dedicated to his work, whole day you will
see him working on the film personally; he is very a hardworking and honest person. I always try to differentiate between the Nazim Rizvi working on this film and the
Nazim Rizvi accused of some charges, but till today, I did not get the answer of it. Then I decided not to think over all these things but Nazim Rizvi is very loyal and
honest person and he deserves making a film. And if I get the chance to work with him in his other fifty films also, I will definitely do it wholeheartedly.
| Even if I am playing a small role or supporting role, I do it with the same efforts that I
put in while playing the lead character in any other cinema |
What difference do you feel between your roles as a lead character and your roles as a supporting character in the film?
The only thing is that your responsibility increases if you are playing a lead role and you should be aware of those responsibilities. But as an actor, even if I am playing a
small role or supporting role, I do it with the same efforts that I put in while playing the lead character in any other cinema. There is no theory for acting where you can
say I cannot give my best just because the role was small, or I can show you what I can do when I will get bigger roles than this, you cannot do that.
Is there any particular reason because of which you suddenly changed your comic status to a serious role?
I never wanted to change it, throughout my life I did not want to change this status. Whatever you feel about it, whatever name you want to give it, you can give it but I
feel that I have never changed anything, nor will I do it. I am enjoying whatever I am doing, I love doing comedy, I love to laugh and to make people laugh. If the
audiences can see the drama which they see even in real life then they can get linked with the character. Today, it is important to laugh naturally than artificially. I did
neither tragedy, nor comedy, nor I had done negative, I had just played my character and because of the encouragement and appreciation I got from the audience, I am
trying to do more experiments with my work.
That means Rajpal Yadav never gave up comedy?
Not at all, my roles in Hungama or Waqt or Paheli are considered as small roles. If people appreciate those roles calling them comedy role then I am
ready to do those kinds of roles throughout my life.
| Kafan has won audience choice award in one festival
|
Can you inform us about the status of the films Kafan and Kahani Gudiya Ki?
One of my friends told me about the idea of Kahani Gudiya Ki, I supported him but then even I do not have any idea of exactly what has happened to that project.
Kafan on the other hand, is already completed and it has even got an audience award in one festival. Kafan is a festival film, you cannot put that film in
some different (commercial) category but if you look at it as a festival film then only you will feel happy seeing my role in it. In this film, I have played a character of a
man who begs for money to everyone to buy Kafan for his wife.
Your future projects after Undertrial?
Yes, I have around ten to twelve projects with me. In five or six films out of them, I am playing the lead role and the rest are of supporting actor.
| I accept the opinion of audiences like a student |
Any particular message that you want to give out from your film Undertrial?
I would only say that whatever our audiences will decide about this film, whether it is good or bad or anything, I will accept their opinion as a student but they should
decide on it after watching this film because the objective of this film will only get achieved after all of you will watch this film otherwise it won’t get achieved. This film
is about our country, about our family. There is one Sagar Hussain in each one of us and the beautiful and holy relation that a father and a daughter share with each other
has existed for thousands of years. There are few relations on which the whole society depends and if these kinds of incidences happen among these relations, then it is
something is wrong and no accusation can prove these relationships false. I do feel that after watching this film, you all will definitely understand the motivation behind
making this film. So, we will feel very encouraged and happy. I would therefore say that you can skip a couple of films but do go and watch Undertrail.
What are your expectations from this film?
Super-duper hit all over the world.
|
Rajpal Yadav plays the man who allegedly raped his three daughters
