“There Are Many Films That I Have Done Just For Money!”

PARESH RAWAL is considered as one of the most versatile yet under-rated actors in the Hindi film industry. His numerous portrayals in films has won him kudos from the critics and the audience alike. The immensely talented National Award winning actor talks to Ankit Shah about Sanju, the changing trends in the industry and much more…

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Is this the first time you are acting in a biopic after the critically acclaimed Sardar? How challenging was it to pull off such a role?

No, this is the fourth instance when I’ve played a real-life character. The first time I played a real life character was when I played Sardar Patel. The next was Tamanna when I played Tikku, a real life eunuch and then there was Road To Sangam where I played Hasmat Ullah Khan. It is never easy when you portray a real life character. You need to be extra careful as you don’t have to mimic the character. The challenge has to be to capture the soul of the character.

Dutt sahab was a legendary actor and he was also a highly popular politician. How challenging was it to fill the shoes of the great Dutt sahab?

It was really challenging and I had to be really alert and I work really hard because the idea was to capture the spirit of Dutt sahab as a father, as to what he went through as a father. In such a biographical film, the prime requirement is to capture the spirit of the character.

You may have had lot of interactions with Dutt sahab in the past. What is the first memory that comes to your mind when you think of him?

Affable, nobility, gentleness, compassion and ek accha insaan kaisa ho sakta hain. All these are the qualities that I love about Dutt sahab.

You have shared the screen space with Sanjay Dutt in many films which also include classics such as Naam and Kabzaa. What is the equation with Baba been over the years?

Sanju is all heart. He operates through his heart. He doesn’t think like main yeh karunga, main woh karunga. Woh koi design le kar nahin chalta hain. Impulsive