Veteran actor Raghubir Yadav, who has time and again proved his mettle with films like Bandit Queen, Lagaan, Peepli Live, and Newton to name a few is currently seen in the teleplay Bagiya Bancharam Ki. In an exclusive interaction with The Free Press Journal, the actor gets candid about his love for theatre, doing iconic roles on the screen, and more.
Raghubir commenced his career with Massey Sahib and Salaam Bombay! The latter was nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film at the 61st Academy Awards and also won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi. He also rose to fame with his small screen presence in Mungerilal Ke Haseen Sapne and Chacha Chaudhary - for essaying the titular roles. When asked why he steered away from doing television, the actor says, “TV series get prolonged and there is no time to focus on other work. I don't want to get entrapped in a character for a long period.”
Raghubir, who is attracted to theatre asserts that the medium offers an immense scope for improvement, be it in the performance or the emotional response to a role as an actor. He states, “We get a lot of time to work on every aspect of the character and rehearse for almost one and a half months. And then the audience response helps us to fine-tune the performance even more. This is not possible in cinema because once a scene is filmed and the final cut approved, the actor can't go back and change anything.”
Coming to his take on cinema, the actor thinks that the industry is engaging in some sort of soul-searching. “Due to the advent of OTT platforms, Bollywood will have to evolve and do better. Instead of focusing on what is 'commercial', it will have to explore the entirety of India and celebrate the richness of its unique cultures. There is so much yet to be explored and makers must dive into the aspects overlooked in the quest for commercial success. We have forgotten what makes our culture and us distinct. Our stories must start reflecting these qualities,” he avers.
Raghubir admits that OTT helped to revive his career to some extent. He has been featured in series like Panchayat, Ray, and The Great Indian Murder. On a parting note, he says, “What makes me happy is that it is now being watched in millions of homes and has brought back memories of the time when the entire family would sit together to watch a Doordarshan show. When a subject like this reaches people, they do tune in. When I get phone calls praising the show, I feel very happy. Such shows on OTT have also benefited actors and so many promising talents are being noticed today.”
