Star-gazing
Paresh Rawal : A Versatile Actor
There are only a handfull of actors in the film industry who are willing to do any type of role they are challanged with, and Paresh Rawal is the gem amongst them who has not been typed in any particular image. Put him in any role and he adapts himself fully to the character he is playing. After the release of two of his recent films, Dan Dana Dan and Paa, he is busy acting in his new films Road to Sangam and Run which are yet again different kind of roles.
Paesh Rawal is playing a commited Muslim in Road to Sangam. In reality, the film revolves around that character. Talking about his role Paresh says that he found himself involved with the character at the story-board stage itself while the Director Amit Ray was explaining the story to him for the first time. Paresh was busy shooting in Goa and had given a mere ten minutes to Amit Rai. But, when the story started unfolding he kept on discussing the role for more than two hours becauce by then Paresh had started visualising himself as Hasmatullah, the character he had to portray. Paresh agrees that this is different from his other films.
Paresh sees this role as a challange to perform. He says, the story has many novelties which touch the heart, Even the way the story unfolds is different. It presents the sensitive issue of Hindu-Muslim issue in a new light. The story has strength and that was the reason Paresh accepted the challange. He had to rexplore the stage-artist within his self.
It is being said that this character is more akin to Sardar Patel and Paresh is unsure whether the viewers will love this character like they love Sardar, but is sure about the effectiveness of this character. Paresh says that anyone who has seen the film has given unrestricted praise. It was presented with the best film award in Miami Film Festival and had to be shown again in Cannes Film Festival on viewers demand.
The real Hasmat had refused to see the video because Paresh had introduced many changes in his expressions. Paresh replies that Hasmat was not such a popular figure that one had to copy him. He said that he played the role like an artist and was more interested in presentiing his thoughts rather than the person.
Till date, Paresh is known more for his comedy and a question looms large whether the viewers will like his sensitive role. But Paresh is confidant because the viewers have liked his serious role in many of his films like, Oye Lucky Oye, Mumbai Meri Jaan, Firaq, Yun Hota to Kya Hota etc. Paresh says that he is now waiting for shaddy and negative roles so that he may feel himself challanged again.
While shooting for the film at Allahabad hardly anyone felt that Paresh is not a Muslim. His non muslim backgrund became evident only while offering Namaz due to his painful knees.
