There are a plethora of actors in the industry who were great theatre or TV artistes and gave memorable performances in Bollywood doing character roles. Actor Rajesh Kumar of Sarabhai vs Sarabhai fame is one such name, and even though he took a sabbatical from acting to focus on his passion for farming, he is now back with Mohit Suri’s blockbuster hit Saiyaara featuring Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda. In a recent interview, the actor talked about his journey in Bollywood and stated that the industry has always worked on a ‘hierarchy system’, something which he believes should change.
While talking to Galatta media, Rajesh talked about this ‘hierarchy system’ and expressed his dislike for how it reduces artistes to numbers and metrics. He said, “The hierarchy system has always existed in Bollywood, and I felt it while working. In terms of how an actor gets treated according to their star value, that metric only takes into account the amount of money they are bringing in or how much people like them. I feel that the system is now changing and evolving with the new generation.”
The actor admitted that sometimes the existence of this unsaid structure becomes too apparent, especially when the lead actor themselves give in to it and don’t collaborate properly with their co-stars. “I used to feel this system really bear on me, even a few years back. One might be respected as an actor, but even sitting on the same couch becomes difficult. I want to meet the person who decides who is the big actor and who is the smaller one. I mean, some actors will just go and rehearse with the writer and will tell you that changes at the last moment, and I don’t think that is right.” Rajesh added that the actors need to converse and connect outside the scene they are shooting and gave the example of newcomer Aneet, who he talked with extensively to create the emotional bond which would be required to play her father.
Even though he was more appreciative of the younger generation, he did recall one example from the past, involving the extremely talented Dimple Kapadia, who, according to him, made the actors around her seen. Rajesh said, “I will tell you one incident involving Dimple Kapadia ji, and I think it was a beautiful moment for me. We were shooting in Jaisalmer, and we were all sitting around her talking about her work. After a few minutes she stops us and says, ‘Enough about me; can I know something about you guys?’ That is when you have a real conversation, because just sitting around appreciating someone is different, and an actual human conversation is totally different. That is something missing from our industry, and we don’t understand how someone else’s story can help us in our own journey.”
Whether the structure survives or not, Rajesh, along with Suri and Yash Raj Studios, is currently enjoying the box-office success of Saiyaara.
