Raghubir Yadav says good roles always existed, 'untrained' actors just couldn't do them: They just read lines and stand

Raghubir Yadav talks about his character in Hunkkaar and why training is essential for actors if they want to see ‘beyond script’

As a veteran of the industry with four decades of experience, Raghubir Yadav is one of the most respected Indian actors around. And yet, even after all these years, the veteran actor is still finding ways to break type. In his new web series, Hunkkaar, he plays a devious self-proclaimed godman accused of rape by a minor. In a conversation with Hindustan Times about the role and the state of acting in India, Raghubir opens up on breaking type and the ‘good’ roles for actors.

Raghubir Yadav plays a self-proclaimed godman in Hunkkaar.

On playing villain in Hunkkaar

Over the years, Raghubir Yadav has made a name for himself playing likeable, pleasant characters, be it in film or on TV. From Mulla Nasruddin to Pradhan ji in Panchayat, he has made the ‘lovable villager’ trope his own. Hunkkaar helps him break that type, at 69. Talking about playing a hateable villain in the show, Raghubir says, “I always look for these opportunities. That is how it is. Otherwise, what is the fun if you keep repeating the same thing over and over?”

The actor says he had to utilise all his training to get under the skin of Baapji in Hunkkaar. “Your entire existence should change, and to do so, you need to change internally. What can be better for an actor than to get such chances,” he says. While many viewers were surprised at his physical transformation as well, Raghubir says the get-up ‘does not help at all’. He explains, “It’s not about the get-up. It is about how you feel within. Once that is sorted, your body language changes. The get-up and clothes are just additions to that.”

‘People just mug up lines and say I’m an actor’

Many actors have said this is the golden age for actors in India. The argument is that the proliferation of streaming in India has opened up avenues for more actors, with some saying that better roles are now being written. Raghubir does not agree, though. “Such roles were always written, but actors just couldn’t do them.”

Raghubir started as a stagehand in the theatre in his teens, before moving to acting and eventually films in the 1980s. He says his training has helped him over the years and laments that other actors haven't opted for it. “To find something in the character cannot come without training. Today, people just mug up four lines, stand and say, ‘I’m an actor’. We have been trained from the ground up,” he says.

The actor, who has been part of three Oscar-nominated films, says that training enables an actor to find nuances in the script and enhance performance. “Not everything is written in the script. There is always something to the left and right of it. Finding something is your responsibility. And if you are trained, you will find it. If you do just what is on the page, there is no fun in that,” he adds.

Raghubir Yadav in Hunkkaar

Hunkkaar: The Roar stars Fatima Sana Shaikh, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub, Raghubir Yadav, Aneet Padda, Ram Kapoor, Arjun Mathur, and Zoya Hussain. The series focuses on a schoolgirl’s allegation of sexual harassment against a revered self-proclaimed godman and the investigation into it. It released on JioHotstar on September 25 to widespread acclaim, with particular praise for Raghubir and Aneet’s performances.