Rajesh Shringarpure “I have always competed with only myself”

The stylish actor who has survived in both Marathi Cinema as well as Bollywood for the last 23 years since he had made his debut with Param Vir Chakra tells JYOTHI VENKATESH in this exclusive interview at the music launch of his next release- Gadbad Jhaali before he was beckoned to take part in Marathi Bigg Boss that he is bothered more about the content of his films than his director or co-actors.

You made your debut with the Hindi film Param Vir Chakra way back 25 years ago. How do you feel when you look back at your career?
It has been very superb. I feel elated when I look back at my career. I have had many ups and downs, mostly downs, especially because life in general gives you different types of stress and you only learn from the mistakes that you make in life. I like the journey the future will bring for me.

Do you repent for the mistakes that you have done?
No. There is no point at all in repenting about what goes wrong because you do the mistakes with a certain frame of mind and you only end up learning a lot from the mistakes that you make. If I am happy today it only means my frame of mind is good. It is natural to feel depressed but you have to overcome it.

How would you describe the film industry?
I would say that acting is a tricky business because in the industry you should be ready to accept the magic when it happens.

How do you manage to strike the right balance between working in Marathi and Hindi films?
I love to strike the right balance between working in both the industries, as I am adventurous and like to do various tasks in life. God and my sadguru take care of me always with their blessings

You have been selected to be a part of the Marathi Bigg Boss. By the time you come out of the house, your film Gadbad Jhaali will see a release. What is your role in the film?
Gadbad Jhaali is an out and out humor-centric film, though there are serious situations. It is for the first time in my career that I am playing a comedy role though I have proved that I can be a comedy actor in theater. I play a comic centric character called Sanjay in Gadbad Jhaali. Santram who has written and directed the film has earlier directed Bhojpuri films and had made the film keeping the sensibility of the Marathi audiences and then approached the producer. He believes in the adage Adlelyaana Laath Nadlelyaana Haath.

What made you say yes to the offer to be a part of Gadbad Jhaali?
When the producer approached me with the subject, I liked the script instantly especially because I have not played a comedy role earlier in any film and hence there was no reason for me to reject it

You are known to be extra choosy as an actor!
It is wrong to say that as an actor I am choosy. I have always made an attempt to take up every offer. If the subject is good, I do not even care who the director is or who my co-stars are. The content has to be good, no matter what the role is. It is important to know what the screenplay is. Having been in the industry for a long time, I know what the rhythm is.

You portrayed the character of gangster Rama Naik in Daddy. How was the experience?
It was a challenging experience to play the role of Rama Naik in Daddy directed by Ashim Ahluwalia, Daddy was an Indian political crime film based on the true story of Arun Gawli played by Arjun Rampal in the lead role. Rama Naik was definitely a challenging role and little different from my earlier characters. I had to add little filmy touch as Rama Naik’s character had that generation’s actors’ impact on him. Whatever I heard about Rama Naik, I tried to put in the character. On the very first day of shooting, I remember Arjun called me Rama and even I was told to call him Daddy. It was great fun working with him and I never felt uncomfortable.

Have you ever thought of taking up direction?
I would not at all rule out the possibility of taking up direction In the near future. I am pretty confident that I can get into that arena too with effortless ease as I have been a part of the film industry from 1995.

Which are your best films as an actor till date?
Out of the 25 odd Hindi films in which I have acted till date, I’d say that my best are Param Vir Chakra, which gave me a foot in the industry and Sarkar Raj. I can never forget the fact that none other than Amitabh Bachchan Sir himself called me up after he saw the film and gave me his blessings. Among the 25 odd Marathi films of which I have been a part of, my best are Shambu Majha Nausachi, in which I had played not one or two but 13 different roles, Matter, Sunghursh and Bin Paisacha Tamasha.

How will you evaluate your growth as an actor till date?
I remember I was rejected even after giving several auditions standing in line and walking in and out of producer’ s offices. It was only after Param Vir Chakra was released and people saw my potential that people started referring my name and I got project after project based on the word of mouth. If I have survived for such a long time in this cut throat film industry, it is only because I have competed with myself instead of competing with other actors. Frankly I do not think that any other actor is my competitor today.

You have floated a company like Call Bollywood!
Call Bollywood is for all those people who want to try their luck in the film industry in whatever capacity whether acting or directing or for business purposes. Whether you are in Jharkand or Hariyana, you can get into Bollywood sitting at home and posting your video links which will be seen by the major film production houses. We will serve as a catalyst and be a direct link between the candidates and the film production houses.

Which are your forthcoming films in Marathi and Hindi?
Besides Gadbad Jhaali, I also have films like Sangeeta Rao’s Yes I Can, Gajendra Ahire’s Kulkarni Chowkyathle Deshpande with Sai Tamhankar, Ansh, Shinga and Gotya are the Marathi films and Saathi is the Hindi film of mine with me in a stylish villainous character, which are now in the process of being readied for release.