Hindi cinema's heroes have always been incomplete without the villains of the story. Yashpal Sharma, the bad guy from the movie “Lagaan”, has played various negative roles in his movies, yet says he still finds it easier to play a positive character. An alumnus of the National School of Drama, Yashpal, who comes from Haryana, is extremely fond of the stage. On the small screen as well, he is getting a warm response from audiences for his portrayal of Kunwar Kuldeep in “Mera Naam Karegi Roshan”. So Yashpal has had a fair taste of the different aspects of stardom. Here the actor, who was in the Capital recently to promote his upcoming film “Life Express”, talks of what he loves the most and what he has in store for us in his new movie.
What transformation came into your life after “Lagaan”?
“Lagaan” was the film that got me recognition in the film industry. After this film people recognised me on their own without asking for my photographs. I will not say that was the end of my struggle; the struggle is still on but it made things easier.
Coming from a lower middle class family, why did you choose this risky field which involved a lot of risk?
I agree this field involves a lot of risk, and insecurity is always there with actors, but in my case, I always had confidence in myself — and by that I do not mean over-confidence. I always knew that with all my hard work I will be able to earn enough for survival.
You started off with theatre, then films and now the television. Which one is the best for you?
There is not much difference between these fields. The film line is more technical compared to theatre. I enjoy doing films which happen in one schedule. Films get you fame. Television requires more hard work as we have to meet deadlines. For me, theatre is the best medium to express myself. One needs to surrender oneself completely to get that perfection with which one can connect to the audience while performing on stage.
How was the experience shooting for Life Express?
It was one of the best experiences of my life. The director of the film, Anup Das is a very genuine director. The film depicts harsh realities of life and deals with various emotions. It talks about career-oriented couples who don't have time to start their family on the one hand, and on the other it deals with the life of a poor couple fighting for survival in a village. Divya Dutta and Rituparna Sengupta have done a fantastic job in the movie.
Why always negative characters? Why are you associated with negative characters, and what can we look forward to in future?
Many people have this perception about me that I can easily act out negative characters, but the truth is I have to do a lot of hard work to get the right shade of such characters, as in real life I am completely a different personality. I expected my character to have different shades in “Mera Naam Karegi Roshan”. Soon after shooting, I realised this character can be done by anyone — then why should I continue with it? But I realised that it's not necessary for you to like it, the audience is more important, and if they like my negative character then why not? For a change, in my new film “Life Express” I am playing a positive character and it was easier to play this good-hearted character.
What are your upcoming projects?
“Hook ya crook” by David Dhawan, “Ye Saali Zindagi” by Sudhir Mishra are the films I am working on.
