‘I admire the kind of work Vadivelu, Brahmanandam and Yogi Babu do’

It’s not the first time that Rajpal Yadav was in Ooty, and he is certain it won’t be the last as well. The Bollywood actor has shot for many of his films in the hill station, and was there recently for Priyadarshan’s Hungama 2. “I was part of the first film and I’m very happy to be in this one as well. We are shooting the film in various parts of India,” he says.
Prod him about his role, and he says, “As an artiste, I never believe in roles.It is always about the performance for me. In two decades of my career, I have played various characters and shot 10-12 movies simultaneously. But all my characters and scripts have been very different from each other every time.”
Not many know that Rajpal has friends in Kollywood. He counts Suriya one among them. In fact, he travelled to Chennai to attend the actor’s wedding. “Suriya is a good friend. Today, I feel that all the film industries are well connected. We all know each other, and we are all aware of who is doing what. I have always been a fan of Rajini sir, Mohanlal, Mammooty and Nagarjuna. I also admire the kind of work Vadivelu, Brahmanandam and Yogi Babu do, and I hope the day comes soon when we all can share one stage and showcase our talents,” he says.
Interestingly, Rajpal has played a role in the Telugu film, Kick 2. He’ll also be seen in a yet-to-be-titled Kannada film, in which he’s dubbed for his character as well. “Though I can’t reveal details of the project yet, I can say it’s been a great learning experience. I feel that I’ve evolved as an artiste by challenging myself to act in regional films. I have also signed a Bhojpuri film, Lallan Top. In the past, I have acted in two Bengali films, two Gujarati movies and three films each in Punjabi and Marathi,” he tells us.
The year 2020 looks chock-a-block for the actor, with films like Coolie No. 1, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Bole Chudiyan in the pipeline. “I’ve also signed a Hollywood film,” he says with a smile, “I feel proud to say that for the next three years, I’m going to be super busy. It feels like all the hard work that I’d put in all these years is slowly bearing fruit. I’m also happy that I’m getting to do the kind of work I’ve always wanted to do, something that I learnt in acting school... like, Safaibaaz and Love of H2O, which are aimed at creating social change. It’s not that I’m slowly drifting from comedy to more serious topics. It’s just that as an artiste, I feel happy if I’m able to make a small difference in the mindset of society.”
The actor credits his directors for shaping his career. “There are so many directors who have played a pivotal role in making me who I am today, but it’s Ram Gopal Varma, David Dhawan and Priyadarshan who built my career — one launched me, the other one made me explore comedy and the third one showed me the depth of comedy. They taught me the essence of creativity,” he says.
My connection with Tamil Nadu
I keep visiting Tamil Nadu for my films. I’ve shot movies like Taarzan: The Wonder Car and Ek Aur Ek Gyarah in Ooty. I’ve come to Chennai for Chup Chup Ke, Karaikudi for Malamaal Weekly and Madurai for Jungle. In fact, I’ve also received offers from Kollywood, but unfortunately, nothing materialised. I wish to work with Rajini sir one day…