Take it easy policy

Jasmine Singh

“I don’t watch films, I have hardly seen seven films in my entire life,” yesteryear villain of Hindi movie industry Ranjeet says this with ease. No filmi kidda, well, does this bring us to a dead end of a conversation that takes place in Chandigarh, as he is promoting his Punjabi film Born To Be King! Definitely not, interestingly though, this confession from Ranjeet opens the doors to his more interesting ‘filmon se pare’ personal and professional life.

“Mere life ulti chal rahi hai. Actors generally start with theatre, move to television and then do films. My life is going in the reverse—films, television and theatre,” says Ranjeet enjoying the twist in life.

“I don’t get stuck with anything, not even work,” this is thrown as a matter of fact as he explains, “You must have heard actors saying that I get into the skin of the actor, I don’t do it. After giving my take on the sets, I don’t even look into the monitor to see how I have fared,” there is no holding back the series of confessions.

This, however, shouldn’t be taken as callousness. For, Ranjeet loves his work. “When I am working, be it films or theatre, I give my best, leave it there and move on. In fact, in theatre also the whole continuity thing gets me to say ‘bas karo yaar.’ This is how I am,” adds the actor who loves to do oil painting, gardening and bas ghar ke kaam.

“People will do everything to be in the news, I can’t. My wife pesters me often to go for special preview shows, and I am like chadd yaar ki karna. I am often asked why I don’t attend award shows, my reply is the same, ki karna..”

So, what exactly would he want to do, or let’s say, Ranjeet ji ki karna? He laughs, throwing himself back in times when his villainous laughter would scare the actress and also the hero at times, “Back to the question, I want to or let’s say I am living life to the hilt, each and every moment valued. I am invited to debates, but I think most debates are about who can speak loudly.”

Ranjeet has started his own film production house and his directorial venture Kaarnama was appreciated by all and showed in the Parliament as well. “I didn’t ask the government to maaf karo tax or show it to the politicians; they did and liked it as well.”

How can you not ask a villain about the new-age actors turning villains? “First, I don’t see films, but if you ask me then if you see Shah Rukh Khan playing a villain and hero, the excitement is gone,” Ranjeet has no interest in comparative analysis of movies. “In this film I play a politician, good and bad you have to find out,” he says.

Born to be an actor

Now, you will find a real life politician making a reel life debut with the film Born To be a King. Rana Gurmit Sodhi (second from right), MLA and vice-president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee plays the CM of Punjab in the film. “I have been interested in films for a while, as I got heavily into politics, I couldn’t pursue it. Then one fine morning, I got a call from my dear friend Ranjeet who offered me a role, and I was up for it.” The first day of the shoot wasn’t a big task for Gurmit Sodhi. “I think was pretty confident in front of the camera. In fact, Ranjeet later told me that he had to give a few retakes but my scene went through in one go.”

jasmine@tribunemail.com