Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; October 5, 2019)

Looking at the current trend in storytelling, films are no longer about a starry line-up leading the narrative. Gajraj Rao, who has won several accolades for his turn as Mr Kaushik in director Amit Sharma’s Badhaai Ho, has emerged as an actor who is up for any role that offers him something interesting and meaty to do. Talking about the 180-degree turn his life took with the National-Award-winning drama, the actor spoke to Bombay Times about his current stint in the movies and what lies ahead. Excerpts:

You’re playing pivotal supporting roles in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, Maidaan and the upcoming Made In China. Have you changed anything in the way you approach your work after the success of Badhaai Ho?
Destination se zyada aaj bhi journey important hai. At least, that’s how I see the idea of working in a team. In the last 25 years that I have been an actor, I have not worked in too many films, because for me, people who I work with matter a lot. I continue to keep in touch with some of the teams that I have worked with. One of them is the team of Badhaai Ho. They have become a part of my personal life and talking to Ayushmann (Khurrana), Sanya (Malhotra), Surekha ji (Sikhri) and Neena (Gupta) makes me happy. Today, thanks to Badhaai Ho, I can choose my projects. Story, script, the director’s temperament, and the producer, are elements that have now gained importance because releasing a film is as important as making it. In the pre-Badhaai Ho phase, I used to get work from friends, and at times, I have even worked for a much lower fee, or sometimes, no fee at all.

From doing cameos and smaller supporting roles, I’ve come to a point where people are willing to wait up to six months or a year for me. They’re writing something keeping me in mind. My talent and performance are finally being appreciated.

Reaching a point like this in your professional life is one thing and sustaining it, is another. Do you have any fears about being able to stretch this golden run for long?
I don’t know what one needs to do to sustain what one has achieved. But whatever work I do, I will do it with 200 per cent conviction. Mr Kaushik’s character (Badhaai Ho) has flagged off this phase in my career and I will make the most of it by doing some good work. I feel that every actor in his life comes across a phase where he’s at the top of his game. It’s foolish of people to think that such a phase can last forever. It doesn’t. But what does last a lifetime is what you do in this phase. If you choose your work wisely and do justice to it, you will continue to reap the benefits of the golden run, even after it’s over. I will make this phase count. Things will change for me, too. Today, I get five scripts a day; later, I might have one script in five months. Irrespective of it, I will not change my approach towards my work. I will play characters that can gradually underline my versatility.

Your part in Made In China looks like a complete departure from what you did in Badhaai Ho. Was that a conscious decision?
I was approached for the film half-way through its shoot (laughs!). I was asked to make this extended guest appearance, which I wasn’t too keen on. Director Mikhil Musale personally reached out to me, insisting that I hear what the part is. The narration helped me change my mind. I’m aware of the kind of work Mikhil has done and I was sure he would do justice to this film, too. I play a man who is a motivational speaker on the face of it, but in reality, he is a sharp businessman. He decides to exploit Raghu (Rajkummar Rao). Working with Rajkummar was a revelation. He’s such an impressive actor who knows his entire script by heart. His memory is so sharp and he’s so prepared that you have no option but to match steps with him.

You’ve also begun to shoot Maidaan with director Amit Sharma and Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan with Ayushmann Khurrana and Neena Gupta. It almost seems like a Badhaai Ho reunion?
Yes, I am very happy because while I’m working with familiar faces, I’m also experiencing newer characters. Like in Maidaan, I play a newspaper editor who has run ins with Ajay Devgn’s character. Sometimes, the excitement of doing something new can get to you, but gradually, things settle in. With Shubh Mangal…, I’m very happy to reunite with Neena ji, my first heroine (laughs!). She plays my wife again, but our dynamics are quite different from Badhaai Ho. I’m a college professor and my son falls in love with Ayushmann’s character. We were recently shooting in Banaras on a real train. From the time we all met on set, it became difficult for the director to separate us and get us to work. Our banter refused to stop.

Today, supporting actors have such solid parts in movies, in fact, their roles are as memorable or even more, than the lead cast...
(Cuts in) I think this trend is excellent for people like us. The credit for it should go to writers who curate strong and well-etched-out parts for the supporting cast. Directors are crucial in the process, because they are showing some bravado when it comes to helming such films. Everyone wants to do something unique. I should also thank leading actors like Ayushmann who are choosing films where supporting actors have plenty to do. In Dream Girl, for instance, Annu Kapoor and Vijay Raaz were not fillers. They were playing parts specifically meant for them. Vicky Kaushal played a supporting role in Sanju, but it takes a filmmaker like Rajkumar Hirani to place him the way he did in the film. Rohit Shetty also makes it a point to make every character memorable. You know, a film with Neena Gupta and me in the lead will not be as interesting as it will be when a strong star decides to join the cast along with us. Badhaai Ho is a fine example of that.

We heard that you are planning to direct a film. Won’t it eat into the time you could give to projects as an actor?
I’m very serious about doing this; I will take a gap from my acting jobs if need be, but I will direct this film, which I am planning to do. If I had decided to do this 15 years ago, I don’t think that I would have had any control over my project. Today, I can make some decisions and see them through. I can also reach out to actors and filmmakers and make a request to work with them, without the fear that they might judge me. Career-wise, I’m finally at a place where I don’t have to say yes to everything that comes my way. I am living my dream!