INTERVIEW | Kanwaljeet
Mr Dependable
One of the best actors around, somehow he hasn't got his just desserts. Yet Kanwaljeet, known for his roles in memorable serials like Buniyaad Daraar and Saans has no complaints. The handsome actor who's graduated to character roles is happy juggling between films, serials and his favourite sport, tennis. A tete-a-tete...
After a long time you are doing a serial which revolves around you. How do you feel?
Good. Aisa Des Hai Mera revolves around me and Rusty(Souwmya Tandon), but let's see how it progresses. It's important that the story remains on track which I am sure with so many intelligent people working on it, it will. I am also doing a serial on Doordarshan but not many know about it because people hardly watch the channel. I am trying to divide my work between satellite channels and DD.
What is your equation with your onscreen daughter Rusty?
Since I am a father of two grown up sons, aged 15 and 12 in real life, it is easy for me to relate to the dilemma of Ranbir Singh when it comes to his daughter Rusty. I felt very emotional when Rusty was away in London. I think that itself will tell you the equation I have with Rusty.
This is your fourth serial with Lekh Tandon. What is your experience of working with him?
For this serial, Lekhji is not involved in the day-to-day shoots. He has written the screenplay and is the overall in-charge. But yes, I consider myself lucky to have worked with reputed directors like Lekhji, Ramesh Sippy (Buniyaad), and Vijay Anand (Hum Rahe Na Hum) in my career. With Lekhji I have done Farmaan, Kahan Se Kahan Tak and Daraar. He is a great one at improvisation. Even after he's written a scene, if he finds it unsuitable on the sets, he changes it and makes it extraordinary. Vijay Anand had a great sense of screenplay and wrote beautiful lines, while Ramesh Sippy gives a lot of attention to nuances.
Of the serials that you have done so far, which is your favourite?
I loved doing Farmaan in which I played a radical Nawab who wanted to convert his haveli into a hotel. He had this girl working for him and though he is attracted to her, he behaves rudely with her, to the point of being arrogant. It was a typical Mills & Boon story. (laughs)
What about Daraar? It had you playing a father at a young age...
(Cuts in). Not only a father, but a grandfather too. A fantastic character, it was inspired by the life and times of MS Oberoi. It was a great journey from the Partition to contemporary times. But I remember that it was also one of the worst periods for me. I hated playing the old man afflicted with paralysis. It was very depressing, I used to hate going to the studio. I was impatient for that phase to get over.
But you won awards for that role.
Yes. In fact, serials like Buniyaad, Farman, Daraar and Andaaz which was the first multi-starrer with Shekhar Suman, Sudesh Berry in it made stars out of us. They helped us achieve a mark on the small screen.
You are also remembered for your role in Neena Gupta's Saans which explored extra-marital relationships.
That was one of the finest serials on the subject. None of the characters in that serial was fully black or white. Everyone had shades of grey. It was difficult playing that role because my character could have easily become negative. Though my character was attracted to another woman, he was in love with his family and hated when anyone said anything derogatory about them. I remember fighting with Neena over the dialogues. There was a scene where the daughter tells her father that she hates him. I refused to accept those lines. I told Neena that no daughter can speak to a father like that, specially when she knows he loves them...
Though you have done quite a few serials after Saans, you have not been in the centre of things.
That is because there came a point when people started making the same kind of serials. With Saans came a horde of serials with the extramarital angle, then came the saas-bahu soaps. Nobody wants to try anything different. They fail to realise that however good they make the copy, it will be second to the original. In my way I tried to be different by doing a negative role in Abhimaan. I played a man with a mean streak who has no qualms in killing his wife. That got me another baddie role in Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin as the underworld don. I also did Tumhari Disha in which I played Disha's father. Many a times when you take on a project, it may not turn out to be like you expected it to and you cannot do justice to the character.
What about your role in Purab Aur Paschim, the serial you are doing on DD?
I play a NRI father whose son comes to India for a visit. He, however ends up staying in the village with his dadaji and gets involved in social work. My character is averse to this, which leads to the father-son conflict.
Any more serials on the anvil?
Yes, I am doing another serial on DD for which I will be shooting the pilot episode next month in Delhi. I play the role of a faded superstar whose skeletons slowly tumble out of the closet.
You were recently seen in 15 Park Avenue. Any more films in the pipeline?
I am glad I was a part of 15 Park Avenue. It was a great experience working with good actors like Shabana Azmi and Konkana Sensharma. The director Aparna has a great sense of script. The film was shot in Bhutan and though my role was small it was well-defined. I have also done three Punjabi films, one of them being partly shot in Canada and partly in India by Manmohan Singh. Soon, you will see me in Red Ice productions' Hindi film Bombay To Paris. The hero and heroine are newcomers and I play the hero's father. The father and son share a sweet relationship. There are little exchanges between them which are heart-warming. For instance: There's this scene when the father meets the hero's classmate and asks him how his son is doing in class. The friend tells him he bunks classes and watches films, the latest being Batman. When the father confronts the son and asks him how was his day, he says it was boring. 'I never knew Batman with lip-to-lip kisses in it was boring,' says the father mischeivously. It has turned out nicely.
Are you happy with your roles in serials and films?
(Evades) I am the happiest when I am on the tennis court. Currently, I am into football because my sons are watching it. (Grins)
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Edited by Maha21 - 17 years ago
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