‘I’m Being Used As A Potato For 25 Years’

‘…be
it
a
comedy,
thriller
or
a
love
story.’
‘The

bhindi
costs
Rs
30
per
kilo,
but
the
price
of
potato
remains
unchanged.’

In
the
final
phase
of
his
life,
Om
Puri
was
a
very
unhappy
man.

There
were
many
reasons
for
it.

On
the
actor’s
74th
birth
anniversary
on
October
18,
we
re-visit
an
interview
he
had
given

Subhash
K
Jha,
where
he
had
said,
“I’m
often
asked
why
I
do
crappy
Hindi
films.
I
have
to
balance
my
financial
status
with
creative
satisfaction.
Though
I’ve
no
regrets
and
am
happy
with
my
lifestyle,
for
the
first
first
15
years
of
my
career,
I
made
no
money.”

On
not
getting
good
roles
towards
the
end
of
his
career.

I’m
not
very
happy
with
the
films
that
are
coming
my
way.

I
used
to
do
a
lot
more
work
earlier,
and
most
of
it
quite
happily.

A
character
actor
with
my
experience
should
be
able
to
do
six-seven
films
comfortably
per
year,
without
going
into
multiple
shifts
per
day.

But
I’m
dismayed
by
the
drop
in
quality
work
in
my
career.

So
far,
I
didn’t
allow
myself
to
get
bitter
about
it,
but
now,
it’s
getting
a
little
frustrating.

The
good
character
roles
are
now
being
played
by
the
saleable
stars.

The
process
of
taking
over
the
character
slots
started
earlier.
The
leading
men
wanted
to
do
the
villain’s
and
then
the
comedian’s
role.

Now
they
want
to
play
even
those
roles
with
four-five
scenes
that
used
to
come
to
people
like
Naseer
(Naseeruddin
Shah)
and
me.

Ab
to
mujhe
apne
kaabiliyat
pe
shaque
hone
lagaa
hai
(I’ve
begun
to
doubt
my
own
capabilities).

Maybe
I’ve
been
over-estimating
myself
as
an
actor
all
these
years.

What’s
the
point
of
being
called
a
good
actor
when
you
aren’t
taken
seriously
even
by
those
filmmakers
who
swore
by
the
capabilities
of
Naseeruddin
Shah
and
Om
Puri?

On
being
hurt
by
the
seeming
betrayal
of
director
friends
like
Govind
Nihalani
and
Prakash
Jha.

Apaharan
has
Ajay
Devgn.

I’m
not
against
stars.
He’s
a
fine
actor.

But
if
Prakash
moves
to
stars,
what
happens
to
an
actor
like
me?

All
the
finest
film-makers
of
Hindi
cinema,
like
Sanjay
Bhansali,
Raj
Kumar
Santoshi,
Govind
Nihalani,
Ketan
Mehta
and
Prakash
Jha,
want
to
work
with
big
stars.

Role

hi
nahin
milte
humein!

When
was
the
last
time
you
saw
me
sink
my
teeth
into
a
role?

How
can
I
when
I
have
nothing
to
do?

After

Dhoop
and

Dev,
(there
was)
nothing
worth
mentioning.

On
doing
away
with
inane
roles
in
potboilers.

I’d
rather
sit
at
home
doing
nothing.

When
you
argue
that
a
Govind
Nihalani
has
to
sell
his
film
to
distributors
through
stars,
you
forget

Aakrosh
and

Ardh
Satya
which
featured
me.

Didn’t
these
films
have
to
be
sold
to
the
public?

On
the
other
hand,
his

Dev
had
the
biggest
stars
(Amitabh
Bachchan,
Kareena
Kapoor).
So
what
happened
to
the
film?

A
film
doesn’t
become
successful
because
of
a
star.
It
just
has
to
touch
the
audience’s
heart.

I’ve
a
grouse
against
film-makers
like
Prakash
Jha
and
Raj
Santoshi
(who
was
once
an
assistant
to
Govind
Nihalani).

When
they
make
small-budget
films,
they
come
running
to
Naseer
or
me.
But
when
they
have
a
sizeable
budget,
they
don’t
even
look
at
us.

I’m
more
hurt
than
angry.

Where
am
I
supposed
to
go?
I’ve
proved
myself
repeatedly
as
an
actor.

Hum
achcha
kaam
karne
ke
liye
kahan
jaayen?
(where
do
I
go
to
do
quality
work?).

This
industry
is
my
home.
I’ve
no
regrets
about
doing
a
two
scene
role
in

Rang
De
Basanti.

I
had
told
Rakeysh
Mehra
that
I
have
nothing
much
to
do.
He
told
me
he
needed
me,
and
I’m
glad.

People
may
have
reservations
about
the
ending,
but
it
is
a
film
that
knocks
the
lid
off
all
definitions
of
art
and
commercial
cinema.

It
shakes
you
up.

I
think
the
star
system
needs
to
be
broken.
As
also
the
film-makers’
mindset.

If
it’s

Mahabharat,
it’s
got
to
be
Amitabh
Bachchan
as
Bhimsha
Pitamah,
Shah
Rukh
as
Karan,
Aamir
as
Arjun
and
Salman
Khan
as
Ashwathama.

If
I’m
lucky
and
if
Saif
Ali
Khan
refuses,
I
get
to
play
the

sutradhar.

Earlier,
an
actor
like
me
was
sure
to
get
work
though
less
money
in
a
specific
kind
of
film.
Now
that
era
is
gone.

On
not
being
pleased
with
his
fame
abroad.

My
success
abroad
is
akin
to
the
situation
I
faced
here
after

Aakrosh,
wherein
I
was
only
recognised
by
the
intelligentsia
and
directors
like
Shyam
Benegal,
Mrinal
Sen
and
Satyajit
Ray.

Ardh
Satya
was
my
breakthrough
in
the
commercial
circuit
locally.
Now
I
need
one
film
like

Ardh
Satya
internationally.

But
let
tell
you,
the
recognition
I
get
from
the
common
people
abroad
is
amazing.

I
remain
essentially
an
Indian
actor,
but
now,
I’m
widely
recognised
in
England.
They
come
forward
to
say
hello.
It
feels
nice.

A
lot
of
people
think
I
live
in
London,
but
I
spend
only
about
three
months
a
year
there.

I’m
often
asked
why
I
do
crappy
Hindi
films.
I
have
to
balance
my
financial
status
with
creative
satisfaction.

Though
I’ve
no
regrets
and
am
happy
with
my
lifestyle,
for
the
first
15
years
of
my
career,
I
made
no
money.

As
for
success
abroad,
I
haven’t
had
a
big
breakthrough
hit
yet.

I’ve
never
earned
big
money.

Even
if
one
is
paid
Rs
20
lakh,
Rs
25
lakh,

aadha
to
tax

mein
jaata
hai.

At
the
end,
one
is
left
with
practically
nothing.

On
being
averse
to
the
concept
of
crossover
cinema.

I
don’t
know
what
it
means.

For
Gurinder
Chadha
and
Mira
Nair,
it
may
be
new.

But
why
are
we
talking
about
it
now?

Shouldn’t
we
have
thought
about
this
long
ago?

When
an
Italian
or
Japanese
film
is
made
for
an
international
audience,
it
isn’t
called
a
crossover.

Now
even
Iranian
cinema
is
making
an
international
impact.

We
should
have
tried
it
earlier.
But
since
we
had
a
huge
market
at
home,
we
never
bothered.

On
international
success
making
a
difference
to
his
stature
in
India.

My
price
has
gone
up
steadily.
Today,
I’m
doing
around
15
Hindi
films,
some
of
them
with
top
banners.

The
other
day,
an
old
friend
Rahul
Rawail
called
to
offer
me
a
part.

He
asked,
‘Paise
kitne
loge?‘

I
replied,
‘Bahut
sarey.’

We
were
just
bantering.

But
my
secretary
and
I
are
very
pragmatic
about
my
price.
We
evaluate
a
project
and
then
quote
a
fee.

Someone
wanted
me
to
do
a
voiceover
for
his
big
budget
film,
but
wasn’t
willing
to
pay
me.

I
said,
‘Dekho,
Dost.
You
have
a
big
star
in
your
film.
If
it
was
a
commentary
for
a
regional
film
or
a
documentary
on
a
social
issue,
I
would
have
done
it
for
free.
Why
should
I
not
charge
a
price
for
a
huge
budgeted
film?’

I
don’t
have
a
fixed
price.

I
am
being
used
for
the
last
25
years
like
a
potato
in
every
dish,
be
it
a
comedy,
thriller
or
a
love
story.

The

bhindi
costs
Rs
30
per
kilo,
but
the
price
of
potato
remains
unchanged.

On
his
dream
of
producing
and
directing
a
film
remaining
unfulfilled.

First
of
all,
I
have
to
make
my
family
and
myself
financially
secure.

To
a
large
extent,
I’m
already
doing
that.

If
today,
I
decide
to
migrate
to
a
small
town,
I
don’t
have
to
worry
about
my
income.

But
I
want
a
little
more
from
my
career.

I
have
certain
ideas
for
films.

Sometimes
I
feel
being
part
of
an
escapist
entertainer
is
fine.

At
other
times,
I
feel
like
addressing
issues
that
bother
me.
We
have
stopped
reacting
to
corruption,
but
this
wasn’t
so
15
years
ago.

Everyone
wants
to
get
rich
quick.

Today’s
middle
class
youth
has
seen
his
grandfather
and
father
work
all
their
lives.

He
wants
a
flashy
car
and
a
posh
duplex,
but
doesn’t
care
how
to
get
it.

That’s
how
youngsters
lose
their
way.
Even
the
sons
of
the
rich
don’t
want
to
become
politicians.

Nor
do
they
aspire
to
become
civil
servants.

They
want
to
become
businessman.

Nobody
wants
to
join
the
army
any
longer.

And
why
should
they?

When
a
general
retires,
he
can
only
afford
a
two
bedroom
flat
in
the
city.
That
isn’t
enough
any
longer.