The other side of success

Nonika Singh

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Aur option kya hai… Indeed, in the lives of character actors options are far too limited.

Especially in the cinema of erstwhile, easily replaceable, invariably existing on the side-lines, their talent/presence might have been the bedrock and support structure of many a film. But sidekicks they were and remained, but for fleeting trysts with fame. Kaamyaab is as much a tribute to junior artistes of 80s and 90s, as a close and grim look at the unsung heroes of Bollywood where typically stardom reigns.

Through the life of Sudheer (Sanjay Mishra), a has-been minor actor, we are introduced to ups and downs, rather more lows than highs, of actors who flit through a zillion parts. Now doctor, now police now henchman; some memorable, most eminently forgettable, they are in the end a zero sum game.

Mishra as Sudheer suffers from no delusions of grandeur about his past ‘glory’. Rather in a self-deprecating tone describes his presence as that of ubiquitous potato during an interview to a television channel. The same unfinished interview makes telling points, as also opens him to the fact that he has worked in 499 films. No small feat, indeed. The desire (prompted by a friend) to make his mark in yet another film to take the tally to 500, leads him in search of another shot at the arc-lights. As also to play a memorable part and earn a rightful place in cinematic history.

Does he get another chance, more importantly does he still have it in him to fit into the changed world of Bollywood? Suffice it is to say the narrative does not believe in flight of fancy. Reality here is well real, if not biting, neither melodramatic nor unnecessarily tragic. Away from the spotlight, Sudheer’s life is not a bagful of misery. He has a loving daughter, a cute granddaughter with whom he relives his Shera moments.

Plus, in consonance with the subject of the film, the treatment is shorn off glamour and glitz. Vignettes of film scenes too have an unpolished feel. Mishra steps into the titular part with no extra padding save for a wig. There are no extra interventions to pull at your heartstrings either. Yet the brilliant actor that Mishra is; he carries the film on his shoulders, holds our attention and takes us en route not just his life but of hundreds like him. We remember their presence, their iconic dialogues too are imprint on our mindscapes yet often we are insular to their existence and clueless about their real names too.

Here, the one-liner, “Enjoying life, aur option thodi hai,” rings like a cautionary tale in itself, loaded with meanings. Much is said, and left unsaid too. It’s not just the climax which reminds us of how hard they may try to entertain us; they can never usurp the star system. Many a scene points in that direction and goes with the theme of the film. Bollywood and its deeply entrenched star-driven dynamics is not exactly a revelation. We all know a star is a star. But what is revealing is that it has taken a superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who backed the film when it found no takers, to tell the tale of the extra-ordinariness of the ordinary lives.

Common place yet talented, their dalliance with silver screen might seem transitory, but is ever-after too. And their impact on the make-believe world can’t be understated or overlooked.

In case, like us, you too overlooked Kaamyaab as it clashed with a big ticket launch when it got a theatrical release not too long ago, you must certainly catch up on the film. Currently streaming on Netflix, it sure is a good option. Especially if you are not impervious to the story and talent of character actors and more so of the calibre of Mishra and Deepak Dobiryal who plays a key and assured cameo as a casting director. The kind of roles, actors like Dobriyal and many others can be seen in, in cinema of today proves how character actors are finally getting their due… Kaamyab tips its hat in the direction of not big names, but minor… Har Kisse Ke Hisse, each one of them deserves a pat and Kaamyaab too for nudging us in the direction which forces us to spare more than a thought for junior artistes.