Mirzapur Actor Rajesh Tailang: TV Serials Were Like Newspapers, Today It Is Important And Tomorrow People Eat Chaat And Pakodas On It- FPJ Exclusive

Rajesh Tailang came into our drawing rooms with Mirzapur (2018-) and Delhi Crime (2019) and has been a regular feature since with series such as Bandish Bandits (2020), Trial By Fire (2023) and more. While his latest project, Mirzapur The Movie, crosses ₹200 crores at the box office, his upcoming project is the second season of the web series Bakaiti on Zee5.

However, what most people are unaware of is the elongated period, stretching more than 10 years when he wasn’t getting the kind of roles he wanted. In a phone call with us, he tells us about how he survived without acting roles for so long, his debut in the TV soap Shanti in 1994, his scenes getting cut and more.

What is the world of Bakaiti all about?

So Bakaiti is a sweet slice-of-life dramedy about a family which is like a remedy for all your sorrows. The man of the house, who I portray, is a poor lawyer who is just getting by making affidavits, while staying in his ancestral house which is also being fought over.

Before OTT, there was a long period where you didn't have any work. How did you support yourself in that phase?

I had left Mumbai for Delhi, not because I wasn't getting work at all, but because I wasn’t getting as much work as I wanted and the kind of roles too. I wasn't interested in doing those staple doctor/lawyer/policeman/chacha/tau parts. So I started doing other things like writing, directing and also teaching at the National School of Drama, where I taught for 10 years.

I would still keep getting offers for small parts, but I wasn't interested in doing them. I felt that if I get any good work, I will do it- and then I got lucky with Richie Mehta's Siddharth (2013), where I was the lead, through which people started noticing me as an actor again (he was nominated for Best Actor at the 2nd Canadian Screen Awards in 2014). Then came The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 2015, where I was acting alongside Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, although both these films didn’t reach too many people.

You made your debut with Shanti in 1994. What was that phase like?

Shanti was India’s first daily soap, having around 780 episodes, out of which I was there in over 300. It was during Shanti that people started recognizing me on the road. So I have seen that phase, which disappeared completely after it got over. That is why I always kept saying that TV serials were like newspapers, today it is important and tomorrow people eat chaat and pakodas on it. Films on the other hand are something that are rewatched, which is why I always wanted to do films. OTT is that sweet spot between films and serials. Please understand, I'm not criticizing TV work, it has its own importance but people forget it after the work is over.

Your brother was a renowned cartoonist, did you ever think of pursuing the same field or even journalism?

I used to draw cartoons during my college days, that's where my pocket money would come from. I was also a casual announcer and drama artist in Akashvani (All India Radio). My brother advised me that cartooning wasn't for me, but he supported me a lot during my acting journey.

Your part was removed from Lakshya (2004). How does one react when something like that happens and what advice would you give to others who experience it?

It had happened to me once before too, however, I wouldn't want to take names. The first time it happened with me was in Govind Nihalani’s film which was my first movie, Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa (1998). There was a very big and important scene which got cut. At that time, we were young, and would also ask about these things directly. I will always remember what Govind ji told me. ‘Look, if I had to cut it, why would I shoot it in the first place? It's my compulsion that I had to cut that scene.’

These are compulsions which are part of the job so one should not worry about it. As far as Lakshya is concerned, that entire track had been taken out, which also had Pankaj Tripathi in it. But Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani were very professional and had written a letter to me about it, explaining everything, which I still have, and am grateful to them for having written it.

Published on: Monday, September 21, 2026, 08:00 AM IST