“I am choosy and like to do what fits me the best”

AKHILENDRA MISHRA

In this exclusive telephonic interview for bollyy.com and Mayapuri, AKHILENDRA MISHRA tells JYOTHI VENKATESH that though he will always remain committed to the theatre, whenever TV or Cinema needs him, he will always be there.

What was your reaction when you were offered the role of Ramayan?

When I was shooting for Delhi 6, Drona and Chamku simultaneously, I got a call to play the role of Ravana in Anand Sagar’s Ramayan. But, since my dates were clashing, I told them I won’t be able to play the role, because I was too busy. Later I got a call from the channel saying that they wanted me to play Ravana and asked for my time to set up a meeting. Anand Sagarji also called me for a meeting. Normally these meetings last for an hour, but mine went on for 4 hours. I had studied the character of Raavan long ago. I had done a thorough research on all his important nuances that weren’t known to all. After bagging the role, I continued my research further.

Since the shoot was in Baroda and considering my other on-going projects, Anandji assured me that my dates would be taken care of. Also, I had suggested to them that I would improvise the role as per my understanding. I wanted to portray Raavan as a character with whom the audience can connect at a human level and made sure that as Raavan, I expressed my emotions as humanly as possible. In fact, we shot a scene where Raavan cries profoundly during the battle sequence. As an actor, I got to express my character with versatility. The audience too, loved the way I portrayed Raavan and my work spoke for me.

How easy was it to face the challenge since Arvind Trivedi had already created a strong impression as Raavan?

It was a big challenge for me to change the audiences’ image of Raavan as the role was quite challenging and Arvind Trivedi had already created a strong impactful impression of Raavan. However, like I said earlier, I wanted to portray Raavan with whom the audience can connect on a human level. And this experiment worked well for the show.

Since this was your first mythology show, how was your experience?

Ramayan was my first ever mythological serial. It is not an easy job to play the role of Raavan. My set timings were fixed. I would reach the set at 11 am because before that I would daily visit a Shiv mandir in Baroda to recite Shiv Tandav and meditate for an hour. Since the temple was in the Army premises, I had special permissions to visit the temple. After reaching on the set, I would follow instructions as communicated by the team and deliver my shots and pack up by 9pm approximately. I would go all prepared on the set to avoid wasting anybody’s time. I am a huge follower of Bholenath. My belief in Bholenath helped me perform the role with ease. The schedule lasted for around seven months. During those days, I got to read a lot about both Ram and Raavan. There were quite a few stories I requested Anandji to add to the script. Overall, it was a beautiful experience.

Can you tell us about the scene where Raavan had to cry?

When the scene where Raavan cried was telecast, Anandji called me to ask if I was in Mumbai or Baroda and asked me whether I had seen the episode. He told me that his elder brother Shubhash Sagarji wanted to talk to me. Shubhashji called up and told me that he normally doesn’t call up actors but he couldn’t stop himself from calling me and told me that he had worked with Ramanand Sagarji, but the level at which I took the character of Raavan  was beyond imagination. He couldn’t believe that Raavan’s character could be pulled off so well at such a different level. Also, the TRP of that episode was the highest amongst all the episodes. I am thankful to Anand Sagar ji who allowed me to experiment with the craft of the character. Also, I am glad that Dangal channel is re-running Ramayan for its viewers.

To what extent do you think you have grown as an actor?

When you sow a seed, it slowly grows to become a tree, has its own branches followed by leaves, flowers and fruits. But the taste of fruit depends on how strong the roots are and where it gets its nutrients from. Similarly, I believe, an actor who has a strong base and is connected to his roots will grow each and every day. I have grown and will always grow as an actor.

As an actor, what do you think is your specialty?

I think an actor, especially the one with a theatre background, is ready for everything that comes his way. I also think that language is very important. If you have control over your language, then as an actor you can do improvisation in every way according to the situation. However, when I do south Indian movies, I cannot improvise as I don’t have a strong command over the language.

How is Kamal Haasan as an actor?

I have got a very different role in Indian 2 where I am working with Kamal Hasan, who is a fabulous actor. His mannerism, character and behavior towards all is phenomenal. He is a very knowledgeable man and I loved working with him. I had never worked with him before, but it was a superb experience.

Which are your 5 best films till date?

Sarfarosh, Lagaan, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Veergati, Gangaajal, Veer Zara, Ready and Hulchul are eight of my favorite films till date.

Is there any director you want to work with?

I feel that a person like me, who has worked with Yash Chopra, Raj Kumar Santoshi, John Matthew, Priyadarshan, Prakash Jha etc cannot ask for more. I am very grateful for my experiences and don’t know what more I can ask for!

You are known to be very choosy as an actor!

I am choosy and like to do what fits me the best. I like keeping rubbish out. My requirements are very simple and involve food, clothing and basic shelter. I then focus on providing quality work to my audience. I keep a lot of things in mind while I choose my work, whether films or TV or theatre, with my family, my culture, my upbringing. I am a follower of Lord Shiva.

How did you strike the right balance between your work in film, TV and theatre?

I have worked in all three mediums and loved them all. I started with theatre, continued with television and that led to cinema. I am still in touch with all the three platforms. In fact, I have done theatre for 35 years almost and even today, I have two plays Ek Aur Dronacharya and Aakhri Shama by M.S. Sathyu which is still running today for the past 35 years. Whenever TV or Cinema needs me, I am always there.

What according to you is the difference between the 3 mediums?

Theatre is a ‘live’ and a one take performance. It still has its own charm. Movie is frame-tight. One moment out of the frame and it’s a retake. A movie gives you the chance to give 50 retakes unlike theatre. Moreover, Cinema is camera action. It changes colors and looks up to 80%, almost like magic would.

How did you bag your first break?

I did a few TV series, like Kabir, Discovery of India, Udaan and Kayar. I also had a small role with Amrish Puri in ‘Tujhe Nahi Chodunga’. Then I did a role in ‘Mein Azaad Hoon’ where they put together all theatre actors. There were several groups and I was a part of the farmers group. I did films like ‘Dharavi’ with Om Puri and Shabana Azmi and then ‘Bedardi’ too. All of this finally led to ‘Chandrakanta’ which I’d call my launch serial. I got popular with my sound ‘yuk’ as I performed it in all the 9 ras in theatrical terms. The kids loved it too and turned it to ‘Yakku’, creating its own charm amongst them. Though I was asked to be part of 12 episodes, I went on to do 100 episodes.

Tell me about your best 5 television serials till date!

My best five serials till date are Chandrakanta, Ramayan, Tu Mera Hero, Pyaar Ka Papad and Udaan.

How do you feel when you look back at your career?

I have been in the industry for around 37 years now. Professionally, I started acting in the year 1983. I was associated first with Ekjute theatre group by Raj Babbar’s wife Nadira Babbar. Before coming to Mumbai, I was doing theatre in Bihar.

Do you plan to take up direction?

I don’t think I want to pursue direction. Literature has always been my focus. I have visited colleges and universities to deliver lectures on Hindi literature and cinema during film and cultural festivals. Also, during the lockdown, I have penned down around 20 poems.

Finally, what are your forthcoming projects?

Indian 2 directed by Shankar and co-starring Kamal Haasan is the only film I have now. It is in Hindi and not Tamil.