Bollywood’s ‘little big man’ on turning director,work in Hollywood

From bagging a negative role in Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Jungle’ to making an impact in offbeat films like ‘Main,Meri Patni aur Woh’ and ‘Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon’,to establishing himself as a comedian par excellence,Yadav shot to fame through his work in theatre for 25 years and in Bollywood for 10 years.

“I come from a small town called Shahjahanpur in UP. I received training in theatre and acting from National School of Drama. In fact,not many know I am educated too,” he laughs,taking the opportunity at Press Club in Sector 27 to give a glimpse of the journey,so far,and the need to make a film. “While theatre gave me a chance to perform every classic character written,films provided the space to reach out to a wider audience and make Rajpal Yadav a brand. But I wanted to do more,as I am a student of creativity,I decide to make a film,” he added.

Yadav got a head start in 2004,and admits he must have read a hundred scripts before finalising on ‘Ata Pata Laapata’,which is also thespian Pt Satyendra Dubey and Dara Singh’s last film,and stars actors like Ashutosh Rana,Asrani,Vijay Raaz,Yashpal Sharma and Govind Namdev. “I loved the challenge,the task to put to practice all the things I learnt at NSD – make-up,design,stage management and shot structure,” says Yadav,the self-confessed ‘designer’,who plays a double role in the film by the names Satyanand Chaturvedi and Manav Chaturvedi – truth versus man.

For Yadav,more than the script,production house or director,it is the character that has to instantly “hit him”. There has to be,as he says,“A rush,a spontaneous combustion,even if it is just one scene”. It is this knack to infuse life into his characters that has got him noticed and bagged him a Hollywood film with Martin Sheen and Karl Penn,Prayer for Rain. Directed by Ravi Verma,the film has interwoven stories of people in India and the US is on the aftermath of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy.

When he is not shooting,he stages plays across the world. At present,he is working on three plays under his theatre company,Nauras Natraj Theatre Company – Harishchandra Ki Ladai,Doordesh Ki Katha and a solo act by him. On the Bollywood front,he will be seen in Rangrez,Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo,Dirty Politics and Mr Money. Aata Pata Laapata,a musical satire on government,society,and life,releases on November 2.