The malleable actor: Rajit Kapur reminisces past, ponders future

Shyam Benegal calls Rajit Kapur a chameleon, an actor who can take on any part given to him – from the elusive Manek Mullah of Suraj Ka Satva Ghoda, to the villainous Sadiq Moosvi of Sardari Begum, and the young Gandhi in The Making of the Mahatma.

But there's more to 57-year-old Kapur than movies and acting. He's also a director and producer, having worked across different mediums – television, theatre, and lately, a web series – in his career spanning three decades.

Originally from Amritsar, Kapur's family moved to Mumbai when he was a toddler and it was in Cathedral & John Connon School that he became fascinated with the performing arts. "I still have a photo of me playing King of Hearts when I was six," he recalls. 

He was also in school when he made his television debut. "I was in class 6 when I did Khel Khilone, a skit on DD. Our Hindi teacher had a contact in the channel. "

In the late 1980s, Kapur was quite a regular on TV — Ghar Jamai, Yugantar, Mathemagic, and Basu Chatterjee's Byomkesh Bakshi (1992 and 1995), to name a few. Byomkesh remains one of Kapur's most popular roles till date. "I thought Byomkesh would have been forgotten, but there are so many people who tell me that they watched it last night. I never realised until people told me that the entire series is available on YouTube," says Kapur.

Although, his last television role was in 2014 — Shyam Benegal's Samvidhan: The Making of the Constitution of India — Kapur hasn't done a major role on television since 2000. "TV no longer stimulates me. Television has become confined to dramatic effects. Daily soaps are stretched unnecessarily. While once we had directors with vision, these days, the channel bosses hold the creative reins. It is all about TRPs, not content." Web-series, he adds, are changing the game. "Not only are they bringing interesting subjects to the fore, but are also offering freedom to directors to make what they like."

Alongside television Kapur was working in theatre, having started out backstage for Janak Toprani's group Creators. He was working on The Diary of Anne Frank in 1986 when he met Shernaz Patel, his friend, colleague and partner in Rage Productions, the theatre company which turned 25 last month. Rage, says Kapur, began mostly because he, Patel and their friends were unhappy with the roles coming their way. In March 1992, Kapur, Patel and Rahul Da Cunha, opened the play Love Letters, with the plan to initially do 10 shows. It received such a warm response that they decided to set up their own company.

It hasn't been easy though, says Kapur. While Rage has had several critical and commercial successes like Class Of '84, Pune Highway, Jamilabai Kalali (Hindi), Djinns Of Eidgah and Glass Menagerie, there have been several challenges along the way — primarily, in getting sponsors. It is easier when you are a familiar face on television and films, agrees Kapur. But it means that there is always the pressure to act even if one wants to stick to directing. "Many a times, the sponsor has said that if you are acting, we can bring the show, but if you're only directing, we may not be able to get an audience. This is something I remember Naseer (Naseeruddin Shah) also saying," says Kapur, who has directed plays like Glass Menagerie and Wisest Fool on Earth.

Incidentally, Benegal discovered Kapur on stage. "I saw him in Love Letters, and what impressed me was his speech and mime. 

They were what I wanted in Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda. There was apprehension initially, but once he started performing, I was confident," says Benegal. The film won the 1992 National Award for best Hindi feature. Kapur and Benegal have worked in several films since — Mammo, Sardari Begum, Zubeidaa, Welcome to Sajjanpur and The Making of the Mahatma, which earned Kapur a national award for best actor. "Whatever role you give him, a small part or a central role, he takes it up with the same enthusiasm," says Benegal.

In the years since, Kapur has done a couple of films every year including critically acclaimed movies like Do Paise Ki Dhoop Chaar Aane Ki Baarish, Shaitaan, and recent potboilers like Kick, Roy, Begum Jaan, Ki & Ka and Baar Baar Dekho. When asked about his eclectic choice, he says, "I haven't reflected on them at all. I did what was offered to me and appeared interesting."

STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART

TV is TRPs, not content

I let go television because it isn't stimulating. The stories that once ruled the small screen are still talked about. These were replaced by daily soaps, which are regressive. Television content has been confined to dramatic episodes even as the serial is unnecessarily protracted by the story taking a time leap. We once had directors who were visionaries. These days, channel bosses hold the creative reins and decide everything. It is all about TRPs and not content. The moment the TRP falls, there is panic.

The director's chair

I have an idea that I worked on a few years ago, over a series of workshops that I did with a few actors. I might revisit the subject sometime. Sixty per cent of the work is done and I am keen to put it on celluloid. Hopefully, I'll do it in the near future for the world to see.

Perils of producing films

When it comes to producing, it's not about getting funds as much as it's about selling your film. There is so much good content lying untouched, unused and unseen. There are films of mine that I am very proud of like Deepti Naval's Do Paise Ki Dhoop, Chaar Aane Ki Baarish. Another is Pushan Kripalani's Threshold, which had received rave reviews in America, but hasn't seen the light of day in India. Nobody wants to buy them in India.

QUICK FIVE

First job: Teaching English and History to school students

First screen appearance: Rajit Kapur debut on television was with a Doordarshan called Khel Khilone. He was only a sixth grader then and a year later, he appeared again on a serial called Mr Homework

Favourite role: Manek Mulla in Suraj Ka Satva Ghoda

Hobbies: Swimming

One thing that annoys him most: Traffic