"I AM VERY JHALLI. I CAN'T MAINTAIN MY IMAGE IN THIS INDUSTRY"
I have been so used to seeing the chirpy Ratan Rajpoot as the demure, regressive and dehati village belle in Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo (AJMBHK) that after seeing her shoot for our magazine in western casuals, I realise that she has a personality, which can be moulded to suit any kind of role. The youngest of five sisters, Ratan has always been the quintessential pampered child – the devil of the house, like she calls it.
Believe it or not, Ratan actually became an actress, purely out of her immaturity and stubbornness. "My sister was going to Delhi to do her fashion designing course, so I threw a tantrum that I also wanted to accompany her. Everyone knows I haven't studied. After attending school till the seventh grade, I studied privately. I started off with theatre and without any professional help or acting course, I pursued it for three years. I did a lot of time pass," she says. In one of her rare interviews, the livewire that Ratan is, she reveals all about her personal life and what goes on behind the scenes in AJMBHK.
She began her career in Delhi. After a few years, she came to Mumbai as a tourist and eventually settled here, though she does visit her hometown Patna at least once a year. "I am a very simple-looking girl, so when I was coming to Mumbai, people told me that I had to change myself and become modern. But I have always got work because of my simplicity. It worked in my favour. That's how I got my first serial Radha Ki Betiyaan Kuch Kar Dikhayengi," she says.
Though she had an important role in it, she hit jackpot with AJMBHK. It's been two years now and people absolutely love her innocent portrayal of Laali. "Because of Radha… I got this big role. Though I will never forget my first show, with AJMBHK, I feel like I have a big responsibility. In my first show, there were other actors like Supriya Pilgaonkar, Mona Wasu and Ragini Khanna, so I never had to worry as the responsibility was equally distributed. But when I started working on this show, I was like 'Oh s***, I have so much more responsibility'. As soon as Radha… wrapped up, I started shooting for this. I didn't even get time to breathe," she says dramatically.
She is besotted by her show and can't stop talking about it. "I am very happy, as I am working in a show that promotes a social cause. More importantly, Laali has a lot of layers; from a chirpy village girl, she has become a sensible wife and a mother. So in one serial, I've got to play three characters." What else can a young actress ask for?
I had read somewhere that it hasn't exactly been a joy ride for Ratan, as she has had to prepare a lot for Laali's role. And by lot, I mean going to lengths almost unheard of on Indian television. I ask her about it and she says, "In the beginning, I was very chubby.
The problem was, I didn't look poor. My director used to say, 'She doesn't look poor at all; look at her cheeks, they are like rasgullas! So then, I started eating less. I had to have a hungry and starved expression on my face, but I didn't understand how I could look bhooki. So then, whenever I was hungry, they would just take away my food away from me! That is when I would stare into other people's food and salivate and eventually get that hungry look. I have walked bare-feet for one-and-a-half years on the show. But it has been fun, as I know in my real life, something like this will never happen." Not one to complain, Ratan has enjoyed the process nonetheless.
In spite of all her sincerity towards her craft, there have been some not-so-positive stories about Ratan floating in the media. There was a time when her colleagues couldn't see eye-to-eye with the actress, as they felt that she stole the show from them and was always the centre of attention in the media. When I ask her this, she bursts out laughing. "The best answer to this question is, this is a rumour. See, some story or gossip is necessary, otherwise, how will your show come up? I think the media just makes up this stuff."
When I point out that more than the media, it makes sense that the production house could have planted these stories to increase the TRPs of the show, she safely replies, "No no, the production house is very nice, don't say this. We don't need to fight to up our TRPs. Talking about me; I have to say I don't have a problem with anyone. I believe if you have to work in a place for 18-20 hours, you have to be able to work peacefully, otherwise we won't be able to deliver our best and we have always been doing a good job." After a pause, she says, "Whoever does it, it isn't the actors. We don't have time for all this. We just do a lot of masti. The set is like a training school, as we have so many veterans. We fight less and learn more. Anyway, this is just a rumour."
What about the accusations that she can't handle the pressures of her job and is known to lock herself up in her vanity van, whenever she does a highly emotional or depressing scene? She reasons, "Whoever plays Laali's character will never get depressed. I have got a good response for that role. I am not depressed and neither am I excited. The truth is that everyone needs some time for themselves. You can't be talking all the time. Sometimes I want to read or just be in solitude and prefer loneliness. I am the kind of person, who is always laughing or playing pranks. So if I am quiet even for some time, the media thinks that something is wrong. But it's not like that. I have an extreme nature. Either I am too naughty or too quiet."
Obviously, because of this, she comes across as an actress with an attitude problem. She defends her image. "I am not careless, it's just that I have so much work, that I don't get time to be social or reply to people's messages, so people think I am rude and arrogant. I am very jhalli. I can't maintain my image in this industry. I anyway don't believe in maintaining any kind of image. You need to be comfortable in whatever you are doing." And Ratan isn't one to socialise too. When asked why she isn't at any of the parties, she mocks, "Party? What is that? I don't get time for all this. In case if I get some free time, I spend it with my old friend from Delhi. We mostly eat and talk about our past. We talk about how we came to Mumbai as tourists and still haven't done any sightseeing, so we make elaborate plans!"
One hears that Ratan's Laali act garnered her an offer from Anil Kapoor's production house for one of his upcoming films. Surprisingly, Ratan is very tight-lipped about the issue. She thinks carefully and vaguely replies, "I like to talk about work that has happened. I believe if you are doing something, it was meant for you. If you are not, it wasn't meant for you." So does that mean she rejected Kapoor's offer? "Not at all, I would never reject anything in life. Of course, it didn't work out. Actually, I don't want to talk about films. But I have to admit, thanks to Laali's role, I have gained recognition and popularity. I haven't received offers per se, but people have met me and spoken to me regarding work. In the future something may materialise. But right now I can't say I got an offer from Anilji. If there is anything like that, I'll let you know."
We move on and I ask her if she has a boyfriend. "Thank God I don't have a boyfriend; if I had one, he would have left me. And then I would have surely been in depression and would have locked myself in the vanity van! Tell me one thing; I shoot for almost 28-30 days a month, for 18 hours a day. When will I entertain my boyfriend? Where will I go with him? There should be an element of surprise in life, who knows, he might just materialise suddenly. I have a lot of friends, who are guys, but till the time, you aren't committed and you don't have responsibilities, one can't be very sure."
Boyfriend or no boyfriend, Ratan has always planned of a dream wedding. "Right from childhood, I wanted to get married. Seriously, right from the time I was in seventh standard, I have been planning my wedding. But I am pathetic at planning and that's why perhaps my plans haven't worked out. My parents think I must be having a boyfriend and I keep asking them to find someone for me, as I don't mind arranged marriages. But then, for all you know, I might get married after a year itself."
And what kind of a guy is she looking out for? "You've seen my height? I want a guy exactly the opposite to me, so he has to be at least six feet tall, as I want tall kids. I admire my jijaji who's an engineer, so I wish he would be an engineer. I am very stubborn, so he should be mature. I am a nakhrewali and nag a lot, so he must be able to tolerate that. I don't want a boy; I want a mature man, who can handle me because I don't have any akkal. It's difficult to find such a person, as my father always asks me, which sensible man would want to be with a girl like me."
On that note, we conclude our conversation. But not before she requests me to print a matrimony ad along with the interview!
*By Purvaja Sawant
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