Sad news: Ravi Baswani passes away - Page 2

RIP: Ravi Baswani

'I believe that it was Baswani's stellar performance that goaded Naseer to shine as well'

Ravi Baswani was a rare talent. I remember being in the pre-production stage of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, scouting for actors. That's when I saw a play called Vallabhpur Ki Roopkatha at Prithvi in 1982, in which Ravi acted. I had already watched Chashme Buddoor and was hugely impressed by Ravi's performance. But the play reconfirmed my belief that Ravi would be lucky for Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro.

Then he was living in an apartment called Tudor in Santacruz East, which had developed a cult status for struggling talent in Bollywood: Alok Nath, Rakesh Bedi, David Dhawan were all residing there. I went over to that apartment. I wasn't expecting Ravi to accept the film but I knew that he was struggling despite the success of Chashme Buddoor.

Working with Ravi and Naseer was like magic. Ravi brought to life a theory I had conjured about directing comedy. I called it the 'comic cement'. If one actor has it in him, the other will follow. In this case, I always believe that it was Ravi Baswani whose stellar performance goaded Naseer to shine as well, for Naseer I never thought of as an out-and-out comic actor. Ravi though was.

At a pre-release screening of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, famed playwright Vijay Tendulkar told me that it was Ravi's stupendous performance that stood out. And it was true. But there was no denying the hard work Naseer and Ravi had put in as a team. During the making of the film, the two of them would keep improvising, re-working their dialogues at a perturbing regularity, the professional chemistry between the two actors was incredible, no matter what.

A still from Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro

Those were socialist times and there was a funding structure based on hierarchy. At first Ravi's fees had been slotted higher up on the ladder; later we felt the need to reduce this because we had to pay some extra crewmembers. Ravi was informed of this and he took it in his stride.

Given the unbelievable success of the film, we even starting working on a sequel, which was supposed to be a commissioned project. I tried to write a script but never actually got around to doing it.

Ravi was keen on making cinema; he became in the later years more preoccupied with the social aspect, the responsibility that comes as an actor and a director. "You can only be what you want to be if you give up your past," he would often say to me. I would wonder if this was some nostalgic reference to his most recognized success in the film Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro.

But I never asked him, considering this could have been quite an emotional for him. And now I never can.

What a fine and unique gentleman he was.

https://mumbaimirror.com/article/30/20100728201007280218496151f594e45/%E2%80%98I-believe-that-it-was-Baswani%E2%80%99s-stellar-performance-that-goaded-Naseer-to-shine-as-well%E2%80%99.html

RIP Ravi.... My prayers are with the family and friends and all those whose lives you've touched...

Classic scene from Jaane bhi do yaaron

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSj7DuaX0lk[/YOUTUBE]