The 90s was a beautiful time for Bollywood, with several actors doing great and leaving an incredible mark. Deepak Tijori is one such actor. He was seen in memorable roles in several successful films, of diverse genres. Hence, he’s a household name and a recognizable face even today. Bollywood Hungama exclusively spoke to the actor about his experience, his current projects and a lot more.
Were you happy with the way your career was going in the 90s?
I was only enjoying work. I was not looking at factors like whether or not my film will be a hit or a flop. At that time, when you are hungry, what comes on your plate is what you want to eat. I was not choosy about things, as I did not know the industry. I did not belong to a film industry family. So, I did not know that ‘iske saath kaam karo’, ‘uske saath kaam mat karo’, ‘yeh script karo’ or ‘yeh script mat karo’. Gareeb ki jholi mein jo aaya, main lete gaya! So after Aashiqui (1990), good directors and good scripts were coming my away. I kept on working. I never planned anything.
You never won any award, though you give many memorable performances. Was that hurtful?
(Laughs) No, it did not hurt. I have not even been nominated till date! I guess probably because I’ve not been a social animal. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke. I am a boring, vegetarian man!
In an interview, you had said, "There was a time when Raveena Tandon, Shah Rukh Khan and I would party together. They knew my habits and were fine with it"
Yes, we all used to party. Even Pooja Bhatt was there; she was and is my closest friend. There was also Rahul Roy, Shah Rukh Khan, Raveena, Vikram Bhatt etc. and we used to party a lot. We used to hang out at Rock Around The Clock, also called RTC, in Bandra. Hum log wahan pade rehte the. Every second or third night, we used to party there. They knew I don’t drink. So I was their driver (laughs)!
Have you ever been Shah Rukh Khan’s driver?
Nahi, woh apni gaadi mein aata aur jaata tha. They were all comfortable with the fact that ‘chalo, ek banda hai apne saath jo sane hai’! Having said that, they were not drunkards or anything. Bas maze karte the sab.
Are you still in touch with them?
I am in touch with Pooja and Rahul. I am not in touch with Shah Rukh. But when we meet, we are the same. In fact, whether it's Shah Rukh or Salman or Aamir, whenever we meet, we pick it up from where we left.
In Shah Rukh Khan’s Baadshah (1999), you were the one who play Baadshah and your character had a lot of significance though your screen time was limited…
Yes, I did that film as I had a good equation with Abbas-Mustan. They told me that the film has Shah Rukh and they need someone who will be at par. So, I agreed.
You were a part of Bigg Boss Season 1…
Yes, and I went late to the show. The director from Endemol was my friend and still is. He told me that they are in a crisis after Salil Ankola left due to contractual obligations. He requested me to step in. At that point, my film with Baba Films was going to go on floors. I requested them if I can go to the Bigg House for 3 weeks. They agreed
But you stayed in the Bigg Boss house for more than 3 weeks…
Yeah, so my contract stated 3 weeks. Par unhone mujhe wahan atka diya tha yeh keh ke ki ‘tu wahaan hai toh wahan khichdi pak rahi hai’! Later, I reminded them of my commitment after which I exited the house.
You never returned in any other season. Several contestants did, like Rakhi Sawant…
Rakhi is an entertainer. I was not. In fact, when I was in the house, I was given the award of the most boring person in the house! I was very happy.
What’s the status of Tom Dick And Harry 2?
I am going to revive it. It was stuck, as there were some differences between the funders and the producers. We have shot for 10 days. We’ll not shoot the remainder this year.
Neeraj Vora wrote the story…
Yes, he did. My favourite guy!
Will it release in theatres or on digital?
It will come in cinemas. We have done a good shoot. We are all happy and proud of it. All my actors (Jimmy Sherigill, Sharman Joshi, Aftab Shivdasani, Pooja Chopra, Nazia Hussain) are my friends. They are looking forward to completing the film. So now, I am trying to end the differences between both the parties.
Are you producing or directing any other film?
I am producing and directing a film along with Raju Chadha ji. The film is titled Tipppsy. It went on floors on March 19. Since 2020, we were planning to go to London but both the years, it got canned due to the pandemic. In the third year, we planned again and this time, the Omicron fear played spoilsport. Now, are shooting it in Mumbai and Goa.
Tipppsy stars Natasha Suri, Alankrita Sahai, Nazia Hussain and Sonia Birje, Hemant Bijre’s daughter. Sonia auditioned and she was fabulous. And of course, I knew Hemant when we were actors. So, it was an emotional thing for us. It feels good when you give a chance to a friend’s child. I often get calls that ‘Deepak, mere bacche ko apne team mein rakh de na…mera baccha seekh raha hai’. So I agree. However, she was very good. And the fifth actress is Kainaat Arora. She plays a Haryanvi girl. It’s a challenging part and she fits the bill.
In August 2019, we were supposed to go to London for the shoot. However, then, we were supposed to take special visas. So, the whole plan had to be revised. We finally decided to go in March 2020. However, Covid ruined our plans. We then decided to fly to London in March 2021. Sadly, the second wave got unleashed at that time.
Your daughter Samara Tijori did a great debut in Bob Biswas (2021)…
When she was growing up, I had told her that you are going to be in the same field no matter what you do. She was never into acting. She finished her studies and explored a few options. Finally, she told me that she’s getting into acting.
Who are the actors with whom you want to work with?
I wanted to work with Dilip saab but I never got a chance. I want to share screen space with Amitabh Bachchan. We have worked together (in Mrityudata). But now that he’s really doing some great stuff, I’d love to work with him. I also wanted to work with Rishi sir (Rishi Kapoor) again. We did a film (Saajan Ka Ghar) but we didn’t have much to do together.
Who are the directors with whom you want to work with?
There are lots. I really like Sanjay Leela Bhansali a lot. Then, Ashutosh Gowariker. He’s my friend. There are certain types of films I want to work in, now that I am in the ‘grey’ category! I recently did a mature love story called Ittar, along with Rituparna Sengupta. The actress, the director, the sound engineer, the art director, the cameraman and the editor are National Award winners in this movie. So, I told them that I am the only joker in the team (laughs)! It’s a beautiful love story that got offered to me. So, it’s a good phase as cinemas have changed. The OTT platforms don’t follow certain norms. It’s a beautiful time for everyone.
As per reports, you were supposed to do Jai Mehta’s web series about Somali pirates…
I couldn’t do it. There were going to shoot in South Africa and the whole Omicron thing was going on. Hence, I could not make it. I was very excited as the script is amazing and Jai is a brilliant director.
Also Read: “With Oops, for the first time, we showed a woman riding on top of a man” – Deepak Tijori
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