Puneet Issar: All the actors from Mahabharat are stuck in their image from 30 years ago, but I kept breaking my image

This year is already looking quite busy for actor Puneet Issar, who is juggling film shoots, stage performances, his next directorial venture and awaiting the release of his films.

“I just came back from the shoot of The Kashmir Files, that will release along with Jayeshbhai Jordaar. I am making another film. It has been a good journey for me so far,” says Issar, adding that he has been constantly working amid the pandemic.

The actor, who rose to fame after portraying the role of Duryodhan in the epic TV series Mahabharat, says the key to stay relevant is to keep “reinventing”.

The 61-year-old explains, “I had to change with the time. I never stuck to my image. I broke it constantly. That’s why you see the other Mahabharat actors, woh wahi pe reh gaye hain, 30 saal purane ussi jagah pe hain. But I kept breaking my image. That is why I am still working actively.”

The actor further points how even in his film journey, he has never stuck to one genre.

“I played the villain in many films but I also did a Border (1997) in which I played a zinda dil Army man. I changed mode throughout my career. I also directed a film Garv: Pride & Honour (2004) with Salman (Khan). I started doing theatre in 2015 Raavna ki Ramayan. I went and did a reality show, that was a big change for me. I also wrote and directed a play which is Mahabharat from Duryodhan’s perspective. I like accepting new challenges, exploring newer territories,” explains Issar.

Issar says these are the reasons why people still think of him and cast him in projects.

“One has to change and adapt to newer generation, newer techniques. Acting is a craft that does not change but the approach changes. People want actors to perform very naturally these days. There is no need for jingoism, no special pauses in dialogues.It is now about how we normally talk during a conversation. I had to tweak and adjust to these changes and I did,” he concludes.