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EXCLUSIVE: Wife cuts Bollywood actor to size
Marrying Rituparna in Main Meri Patni Aur Woh could spell tall troubles for Rajpal Yadav. 'There's no race for exposure'
At 5'2", he may be the smallest actor in Bollywood, but Rajpal Yadav has never suffered height fright. But marrying Rituparna Sengupta in Main Meri Patni Aur Woh could spell tall troubles for him.
"I love to experiment with my choice of roles. There's nothing to lose or gain when you do that. The returns are either zero or hundred per cent, but in either case you have the satisfaction of knowing that you tried something new. Challenges are what inspire me. I therefore accept whatever comes my way, be it supporting roles or character roles. Although working in Main Meri Patni Aur Woh was a great experience, I haven't stopped looking for more chances to experiment," says Yadav.
After Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon, this is the second time that the pint-sized bundle of talent will be working with director Chandan Arora. Main Meri Patni Aur Woh is the endearing tale of Mithilesh Shukla aka Chote Babu (Rajpal Yadav) from Lucknow meets who falls in love with a five feet eight inches tall Veena Mishra (Rituparna Sengupta) from Bareily. The six inches of separation between the two oon becomes a cause for marital mismatch.
Chote Babu increasingly finds himself unable to cope with the pressures of having a lissome, intelligent and beautiful wife. His insecurity soars to new heights and things get blown out of all proportion. Into this quagmire of unequal relationships enters a third character who is everything that Chote Babu would like to be. That only makes matters worse.
Although he and Chote Babu are both diminutive, this is where the similarity ends, claims Yadav. "I personally don't identify with the character of a man who suffers inferiority complex due to a difference in height with his wife. I am a very confident person in real life and have no such hang-ups," he says.
But that didn't stop Yadav from enjoying his role. "There's no third angle to the story. I loved portraying Chote Babu's pain and angst because like I said before, experimenting as an actor means everything to me," he adds.
According to Yadav, Main Meri Patni Aur Woh is sure to strike a chord across the social spectrum. "It's the common man's story, but with a sleight twist. It will appeal to anyone who is looking for wholesome family entertainment," he says.
Unlike Chote Babu, the actor who is currently making waves with Aishwarya Rai in a Coke commercial didn't allow himself to be overawed by Rituparna's stunning good looks. "There was no discomfort on the sets. Although I haven't seen Rituparna's earlier work, I know she is a two-time National Award winner and a wonderful actress. There was no awkwardness between us. In fact I couldn't have asked for a more supportive co-star," he insists.
Besides Main Meri Patni Aur Woh, Yadav is also looking forward to his debut as an item boy in mentor Ram Gopal Varma's latest presentation - D, slated as a prequel to the blockbuster Company.
"Ramu likes to flirt with ideas and experiments where I'm concerned. He selected a song from the film and said that he wanted me to be part of it. I agreed. It was very exciting since I had never done anything like this before," says Yadav.
This time he had another gorgeous woman sharing screen space with him. According to Yadav: "Ruksaar was terrific. I didn't have any problems matching steps with her. I was told to interpret the song my way and that's exactly what I did."
And when it came to shaking a leg, the man from Shahjahnpur didn't mind going the whole hog with his rockstar looks. "It's true that I have never done something like Yaar Dhokebaaz, Pyaar Dhokebaaz. I coloured my hair golden-brown. I am bare-chested in the song and have my own style of dancing. I thoroughly enjoyed what I was doing. I am open to all kind of roles, as long as they give me a chance to experiment," he says.
Having received critical acclaim for his performances in Jungle, Pyar Tune Kya Kiya, Hungama, Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chati Hoon, Kal Ho Na Ho, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Vaastu Shastra and others, Yadav says he would hate to get typecast: "I don't think its right to slot actors as action hero, angry young man or lover boy. For me, every role is a lesson in acting. I don't consider myself a star. I am just a student of acting."
