Interview with Rajeshwari!!!

Do people confuse you with Raageshwari?
It did happen initially, but now its ok. I am RAJESHWARI SACHDEV and she is RAAGESHWARI LOOMBA.

Where were you born and brought up?
I was born in Bombay, brought up in Bombay, studied in Bombay - Hard core Bombayite.

Tell us something about your family and background ?
My grandparents came into India and Bombay after partition. So we are the products of partition, I guess. That's my father's side. My mother's side - they are South-Indians. So I am a good mix of the North and the South.

My father has been in theatre. He has been associated with the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA). That's how I started going with him in the evenings. And I used to enjoy, along with all the other kids who would come. We had fun, saw rehearsals, and watched plays. I guess, I really enjoyed myself and I continued doing it. Though I wouldn't say he introduced me only to theatre. He introduced me to a whole lot of things - to music, to dance. I started learning dance from the age of five. I learnt dance for about 13 years. I was also very good at sports. I was put into professional athletics and things like that. I got a lot of encouragement and was exposed to a whole lot of things as a child, and I guess that has helped me. And in the end I decided this was it (acting).

How did your journey into movies start?
I was right out of school when I started getting offers for movies. I did my first film in Marathi, for which I got the Maharashtra State Government's Award for the best actress, and I said 'hey, I am a good actress, so I should continue.' However, in films, it's not about what you really want to do - it's the opportunities that keep coming your way, and you make the most of what you get. That's how it has been with me. I am not the kind of person who will go all out and make things happen. But yes, I do work a lot on what I have. So here I was doing this one movie, and it got me an award. Then I got Shyam Benegal's Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda, and the film got the National Award, WOW! And I was nominated for it - so it was good. Then I did 5-6 films with Mr Benegal, got my National Award for Sardari Begum. So things just happened.

And likewise with music? As the tale goes? you were singing in the Lohri episode of Mirch Masala?
Not Mirch Masala but Superhit Muqabala. It was one of those one-off shows I used to do. I was singing a lot in the show, and the next thing I get a contract to sign! So you see, even this just came my way, and I said 'okay - but now is the time I start working on this'. I was quite apprehensive about it, as I did not have a formal training in music and I didn't think I should really get into something when I am not sure of it. I went to the studio and heard my voice and said, 'That sounds good - only I need to work on it'! You do need to, for anything! And so Hulle Hulla Re happened. Again I did not know what I wanted to sing. But I said to myself, this is one song, which I have sung since my childhood. It's a nice song, I like it, and I knew how to sing it! Amar Haldipur who was doing the music, said it's nice, and so we recorded that first.

Films, theatre, dance, television, music - is there anything in this world that you have left undone?
No, there is a lot in the world that I haven't done (Laughs). Like, I don't paint!

And even within each of these media, you seem to have tried different things?
Yes. I did one Margarita, which was different. It was at a time when people were interested in 104 episodes, but we said we are not doing anything beyond 13. We ended up doing 26. It gave me the Screen Award for the Best Actress. After that I did not see any other serial which really interested me. Not because they are not good subjects, but they are so typical. Same thing was happening with a different name on another channel, or maybe on the same channel! So I did not want to be a part of that, because there is nothing new to do. Meanwhile, Antakshari came at a time when I said 'I think I can do it!' And I was doing it for a limited number of episodes.

However Antakshari had a background of female anchors not sticking around for long?
I guess the female anchors have not been so passionate about it! People like Pallavi and Renuka are very good actresses, but as Renuka herself said "I got tired of doing it!" The reason I don't want to do a long-drawn serial is that I don't think that any script has in its capacity to keep you there, and hooked. It can keep you hooked in the sense, as a family drama can, but as a performer it can't hold my interest for too long, because there is nothing more I can give it or take from it. So with people like Pallavi, Renuka and myself, we can say, 'Okay, it's enough!'

But Annu Kapoor seems to have no such problems?
No no, for him it's different. He enjoys it, he speaks well, and he does a good job of it. He's very passionate about it. I guess for anything in life, you have to be very passionate about it. But with us it was more like, lets take it as it comes. I first decided to do one schedule, then I did the other, then another and ended up doing THIRTY-SIX episodes! That's a lot by my standards.

You seem to be very determined about not doing more than 13 episodes...
What happens is that, unless the script has it in it, I can't be convinced. And as it is, the television industry is not known to have good scripts. I have no problems doing television, something interesting, which is even 600 episodes - but get me something, that's going to be interesting that ways!

Coming to CARAVAN. A show where people like Gulzar, Asha Bhosle and Pyarelal have given their inputs. How did you approach it?
I have been a Hindi film buff and I know a lot about old films. And when I learnt that Gulzar Ji and Asha Ji have chosen the songs, I knew the kind of songs that would be on the show, and that got me excited. And when I met Shashant, the director, we had a discussion for about an hour, and I decided to work with him. He was so full of enthusiasm. I might be sounding cliched, but the way he discussed the concept - somewhere we said, okay lets work on this, and lets see if we can create different looks. This wasn't something wherein you go to a studio and can six episodes and come out. There was more to it. We tried doing different things. We did go to a studio and shot some looks. Here was somebody who was ready to try and make it sound different. And then the script by the writer Manoj excited me. I thought these lines have rhythm, the script has its own power, the language is very good, and one would like to be associated with a show like that. And that's how it happened.

Your first film, for which you won an award also, was in Marathi. Did u ever have a language problem?
Not really. Because I have been in Maharashtra since I was born. I speak Tamil, though nowadays it's quite broken. I understand it completely, but I am not used to it. A month or so of speaking and I get it back. I speak Punjabi of course. I speak Hindi, English. I understand Gujarati, but don't speak it. So you could say, I do have a flair for languages.

In the run-up to Sardari Begum, everyone was raving about Kiron Kher and Smriti Mishra and you just came out from nowhere and walked away with the laurels...
I guess nobody knew Rajeshwari existed in that film, and when they saw her, they were like - "Oh! Ok!"

Your name did not feature in the publicity, but everyone seemed to agree in retrospect, that you deserved it.
I remember, the day the film released, I started getting so many calls and Anupam Kher told me, "See people are talking about you and your performance". And that's more than enough. So I guess my work speaks for itself. And after about a couple of months, I got a call in the middle of the night saying that you have won the National Award, and I said: 'For what?' Yes, that was my reaction, 'For what?' The film was shown, I got all the compliments from people, "You were brilliant" etc. Many people wondered while the film was going on, that this girl gets one shot, and there is a little close-up of hers, and then she disappears - why did she have to do a role like that? And?as they came towards the end of the film, they realized - 'Oh shit! It's the best role in the film!' And considering that Mr. Benegal wanted me to do some other role first, then some other role, and at the last moment said, "I think you should do this role". I said, 'Ok if you say so' and it turned out to be the best role in that sense.

Any forthcoming films?
Yes, there are a few in the pipeline, but you will have to wait and see.

Anything happening on TV?
Nothing! I have begun to ration my appearances on television. Simply because of the subject matter - nothing worthwhile has come my way.

Music??
My second album also came out, Mukhda Piya Ka, with a sound very unlike Hulle Hulla Re, as I did not want to go into the same sound. Initially, when Mukhda Piya Ka came out, people were like 'Yeah nice melody!' Of course, it did not catch on like Hulle Hulla Re. But today, if you see on the iTVs, every third song they play is my song! So its wonderful. I am glad it has caught on. It gave me a sort of credibility as a singer. So this album has worked in my favour. There's a different kind of sound - a different kind of music. Of course there are the Hulle Hulla Re kinds also in the album. There are lots of dance numbers in there. I really have a lot of material from this album, which I can perform on stage. In fact I am currently rehearsing for my Rajeshwari Sachdev Nite in Vishakapatanam. I am doing lots of shows. I loooove doing stage shows! So I sing and dance a lot on stage.

Do you sing live or ad-lib?
See there is nothing like 'ad-lib'. Many singers when they ad-lib, do it either because they have not done a sound check, or, they are doing some acrobatics on stage. And of course you can't sing while dong acrobatics! Apart from that, I don't see anybody who cheats himself or herself. With me, I am very clear - I sing. I do my entire singing and dancing act. Except for maybe a couple of songs in an entire concert, where they have me doing lifts or throwing me from one corner of the stage to the other! But then I don't even carry a mike, I leave it on the side. So it depends. As it is, everybody knows I have sung my songs! (laughs)

Which is your favourite movie?
I can never answer that, I have a whole lot of favourites. Padosan to Mother India to Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi to Albela to so many Guru Dutt films to Teesri Manzil. I love all kinds of films.

And your favourite director?
I wish Guru Dutt were alive! (Laughs) Again there are a whole lot of them.

Certainly Shyam Benegal is one of them?
I enjoy working with him. Because, I guess he gives you so much freedom. He lets you explore things and you get to know things about yourself which otherwise you would not know, and as a performer, how far you could go. He lets you do your own thinking. And we sit together and work things out. Thrashing them out, and seeing what works, how it works, and why it works. You know it sounds strange, I started working with him, practically (my first Hindi film, and second otherwise) that when somebody asks the question 'why' - I really have no answer. It's become way of life for me - I have practically grown with this. I was 16-17 when I worked with him first.

And in Hari Bhari, you get to play a 13 year old?
That's the best part of it! (Laughs) If at 24 you try to play 13 -14, it's wonderful.

One also saw you play a demure young girl in the IPTA play Shatranj Ke Mohre. You seem to be specialising in these demure-girl roles.
Then you must see Jameela Bai Kalaali! We are doing it again in February. That's a completely different person from the one is Shatranj Ke Mohre. It's a very chatpata character. It's set in a remote desert village in Rajasthan, in a small bar, run by Jameela Bai (Ila Arun). One night, Jabra, one of the regular clients, comes in with his latest conquest, the attractive and coquettish Chameli. After that night, Chameli disappears and is never heard of again. Where is Chameli? What kind of person is Jameela? And what exactly happened that fateful night? What ever the guys think, is enacted on stage. So I am there throughout, but in imagination.

There's this extraordinary moment in your life?
I was in Delhi for the performance of Jameela Bai Kalaali. On 19th November I was to perform, and an accident happened on the 18th. I was at the venue, and we were there for an international theatre festival. We had gone to see this French play, and while coming out, this videographer stopped me for a shoot and said, "Madam, zara idhar aaiye." I told him it was okay, where I was standing. He insisted, and I did not want to come across as difficult, so I moved to the other side. That was the biggest mistake I did. I was standing against a wall, and there was a diyaa, which no one could see - and soon my kurta caught fire. Within seconds, my entire back was on fire. It was a major accident. I had 1st and 2nd degree burns, even my hair was burnt. I was in the ICU and at 5 o'clock, I said I was going to perform. Everyone said - how could she - she has high fever and vomiting! But I was adamant. So at 7 o'clock, my father wakes me up and asks me, if I wanted to perform. I said yes. It was a miracle! I stood up. I did not feel giddy. I didn't feel anything. And I went and I performed in a 2.5-hour play like Jameela?where I am singing and dancing! And the moment the show is over, I walk right back into the ICU.

What do you do when you are not working?
God, I sleep! I sleep a lot yaar. Apart from that I do believe in gymning. I do dance. I do read a lot.

Finally - are you net savvy?
Yeahhhh? NOT AT ALL!!! I use it, but I go via. My brother is on the net all day long. Never gives me the password. He is like a typical younger brother. He even accesses my mail for me. So I get to read only what I am supposed to read. What I am not supposed to read goes into the trash. And if there is anything I need on the net, I ask him. So that ways, I do use the net, but I am not on the net. Initially, when the PC was new, I went on the net, and said, ok lets chat. I chatted for a good 4 hours at a stretch and I enjoyed myself. When I got off, I said to myself - what a sheer waste of time! When I was on, it was wonderful. But when I got off, I wondered, what was I doing! And after that I never went to chat?

Don't worry, we will call you for a chat soon?

Interview - Rahul Razdan