Front Row," host Anupama
Chopra chats with Ram Kapoor,
Boman Irani and Sanjay Mishra
" who typically play supporting
actors in Bollywood " about
how the film industry views their
roles.
Anupama Chopra: When you
are approached for a role, do
all of you think about, am I the
lead or the second lead?' Is that
a concern?
Boman Irani: I don't think about
it honestly. It's a job. It's a role,
there's a character and we have
to work on the character. You
have to understand where the
director wants to take this film
and what needs to be said. If you
follow that, you can give us any
name, I really don't care.
Sanjay Mishra: I think it's a
status game.
Ram Kapoor: I'd also like to add
that this whole business of lead,
hero, heroine and then
supporting, is very prevalent here
in Bollywood. In Hollywood, it is
not like that. They treat it as the
principal cast of the film. Now
whether you are the lead or you
are a supporting or a character
actor, there are four or five or
six people in any story that make
the principal cast. Even Gravity
has a star as big as George
Clooney.
Anupama Chopra: What is the
biggest struggle for a
supporting character?
Saurabh Shukla: Still in films,
there are characters, there are
actors, and there are portions
not worth playing for an actor.
But everybody needs a job. Just
to prove that you're an actor.
Boman Irani: Things are
changing now. But in the 50s
and 60s, even on one of the
greatest films ever made, The
Bridge on the River Kwai, William
Holden was brought in to a
British film for star value " so
that they could they could fund
the film. So it happens in
Hollywood too; let's make no
mistake about it. But things are
changing in Hollywood. Brad Pitt
will do one little cameo in a
Snatch. And things are changing
now here too.
Anupama Chopra: Does the fact
that you're not the lead give
you permission to slack off? Do
you ever have days when you
sleepwalk through
performances because
somewhere you know, even if
the film doesn't do well, it's not
your headache?
Saurabh Shukla: The reality is
that in cinema, actors do not
make films, it is a director's
medium.
Ram Kapoor: It is not a one-man
show; you can only be as good
as the other person. Acting is
give and take. If I'm acting
opposite him, if he's not good, I
can't be good. Simple as that. So
then immediately the thought
goes to, Okay, we've got to do
something to make it work.' And
that's where the focus is.
Watch "The Front Row with
Anupama Chopra" Friday at 8.30
pm on Star World for the full
conversation with Boman Irani,
Saurabh Shukla and Ram
Kapoor.
Link-
blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/04/04/the-challenges-of-being-a-supporting-actor/