Director's Cut: 'I am very passionate about films and creative art,' says Satish Kaushik

Satish Kaushik has helmed and acted in many successful Bollywood films. His recent release as an actor is Sharmaji Namkeen, which stars Paresh Rawal and the late Rishi Kapoor in the same role. The Hitesh Bhatia directorial holds a special place in Satish’s heart. The Free Press Journal caught up with him for an exclusive chat.

Remembering the late Rishi Kapoor, Satish says, “It can’t be a better tribute to Rishiji. I remember while giving the last shot of the film, he said he couldn’t give a better shot than this. It is so ironic. He was a very warm and jolly person who was passionate about cinema and his craft. I always had a great time as we gelled very well.”

Coincidentally, Satish was a part of the late Rishi Kapoor’s maiden directorial venture. “I was also there in his directorial debut Aa Ab Laut Chalen. I spent a lot of time with him in NYC. There were so many times that I used to plan a film to direct him but couldn’t take off. I feel the role in Sharmaji Namkeen suited him so well that the warmth came out so well. It was a great gesture of Paresh to do this role and finish the film. The best part of the film is that you forget that there are two actors who are playing the same role. It has never happened in the history of cinema. Paresh and I used to discuss Chintuji when we were shooting in Delhi. I shot one interior with him, and he was hail and hearty,” he shares.

Elaborating further, he avers, “As a spectator, it was a great journey to witness Rishiji’s journey from Bobby to Sharmaji Namkeen. I remember watching Bobby in a theatre during my college days. He became a rage overnight.”

Opening up about his bond over food with the late actor, Satish reveals, “The Kapoors are known for their food and hospitality. When I used to shoot in RK Studios for films like Mr. India, Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja, the food used to come from the late Krishna Kapoorji’s (Rishiji’s mother) house. I had food in the personal room of Raj Kapoor. They are king-size people. Rishiji used to take me to several restaurants for continental meals.”

Despite being a noted filmmaker, Satish switches on camera as an actor with ease. “I am very passionate about films and creative art. I am a workaholic. When I go for acting, I take out my hat of a director. I enjoy being helmed by somebody else. I like to work hard and improvise on my character. Since four to five years, from Udta Punjab, Soorma to Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story and Bloody Brothers, I have been performing often. In Kaagaz, there were so many scenes where I also got involved in the crowd as a junior actor,” he says.

Satish used to helm many romantic films in the early 2000s, and he surprises us by revealing that he is working on something special. “With Kaagaz, I found a new genre of telling about system and society, but yes, I do believe in love stories that are socially structured. It is on the cards, and you all will come to know soon,” he concludes.