“I became an actor by accident; I wanted to become a filmmaker. I always thought my face is not expressive and I say things simply and straight (straight dialogue delivery). I thought that’s a flaw for an actor, but it worked in my favour and people loved it,” revealed Saurabh Shukla while speaking at a session in Jashn-e-Adab, which was held in Delhi recently.

Shukla, who’s an actor, screenwriter and theatre director, all rolled into one, went on to add, “Sudhir Mishra is my good friend, and he has cast me in almost all his films. He once told me, ‘You are a reluctant actor, and that’s why you are so great. Tere ko padi nahi hai ki tu bahut achhi acting kare.’ “Sehaj hona zaroori hai, and that one should not chase.”

Besides portraying memorable characters in movies such as Satya, Oh My God! and Jolly LLB, Shukla has written the scripts for several films, such as Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar, Raat Gayi Baat Gayi and even Satya, where he was the co-writer for the film, which went on to bag several awards. At the gathering, Shukla, who is a theatre actor and director, spoke about his writing process and the difference between acting in films and on stage. He also told the audience why the peak of his career was also one of the lowest phases of his life.

Elaborating on one of his characters essayed on screen – Kallu mama from Satya, which was a huge hit with film buffs – Shukla revealed that the immense success of the role, in fact, became a big reason for his dissatisfaction. Shukla had earlier said that the character of Kallu mama became so synonymous with him that wherever he went, people would shout, “Kallu mama” or sing, “Goli maar bheje mein” (a popular number from the film).

He said, “Ironically, I was going through the worst phase of my life when I was at my peak. The day Satya released, we all became overnight stars. Picture chal gayi thi lekin industry ko koi fark nahi padta tha. Bulate thay, main paise mangta tha aur uska one fourth offer karte thay. (Filmmakers) Bolte thay karna hai toh karo nahi toh jao. Toh bada apman lagta tha. Barnali (a documentary filmmaker and his wife) once told me, ‘Have you realised that you’ve forgotten how to smile.’ And I told her that they (the industry) are not accepting my talent and not giving me my due. There is a character I have written, which is loved by the audience. But the industry is not acknowledging it.”

He shared how his wife told him that he is one of those few lucky people who dreamt of something and their dream came true. He added, “She told me, ‘If you are not happy now, then this journey is not worth taking forward. If you are not happy now, then you will never be happy again. When you trek, you don’t keep looking at the last point; you praise yourself for reached so far and then you move forward.’”