Veteran actor says Anubhav Sinha, Rajkumar Hirani made promises, never gave him work: ‘Bollywood wants darbaris, not actors’

Explaining the reason behind not becoming a star despite being a solid actor, he said, “I am not part of camps. I want to work with producers–directors whose work I like, and I have fun working with them. I express to them directly or indirectly that I love their work and would want to work with them but I don’t hang around with them. I have my life and family. I have other preoccupations, I am a professional and I don’t hang around. If there is any particular reason, apart from luck, of me not achieving stardom, it is just that I don’t do camping.”

Rajendra also expressed that despite being appreciated by filmmakers, the praise often doesn’t translate into more work. “There are some excellent directors and I have worked with them, and they have loved my work, but they have not repeated me. And they have constantly been making good cinema, but they have not repeated me. Am I so bad? Or am I a rowdy and disrespect you? Just that I never gave them the impression that I am their darbari (courtier). Why are we required to do this? That means that your work has no value.”

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When asked about the directors he wished had repeated him, he said, “Anubhav Sinha is one of them. His films are socially relevant and different.” He added, “25–30 years ago Vidhu Vinod Chopra had chosen me for a role, the contract was also signed but the film story took a different turn and that did not happen. Rajkumar Hirani had also cast me in a role, but that also didn’t happen. And he didn’t repeat me, didn’t think of me. They had thought of me as a good actor par bulate he nahi hai (They don’t call me).”

Talking about how show-off is valued in the film industry, he said, “What do I talk to them? What do I show? How do I show a friendship with them. Friendship happens automatically. It is not forced. How can you give marketing the name of friendship? Lies are sold in the industry, those have more impact. Show-off is sold. But it is right also because the name of the industry is show business.”