The perpetual villain of Bollywood, Ranjeet , is all set now to showcase a different side of him in a new tele-film. He takes a walk down memory lane here with Madhur Tankha….
He has entertained the masses for well over three decades as the original bad man of Hindi cinema. Now, veteran actor Ranjeet is all set to showcase his versatility in a brand new tele-film that revolves round interesting happenings during rail travel.
The actor, who over the years played various evil characters to perfection, is playing a fun-loving grandfather in Gaadi Bula Rahi Hai which goes on the air on SAB TV beginning November 19.
“The tele-film basically highlights the positive facts associated with rail travel and brings together people from varied cultures and walks of life. I agreed to do the project because it has parallels with real life and a series of hilarious situations occur while we are travelling in a train,” he says.
Ranjeet plays a simpleton who has the habit of engaging in conversation with complete strangers. He and his wife (Amita Nangia) along with their grandchildren are travelling by train. They share their berth with Mr. Ghosh (Rakesh Bedi) and his family.
Interestingly, the actor, who lived in Sabzi Mandi in Delhi, would often frequent the railway station with his friends. “We would get into trains to understand the mind-set of passengers belonging to different States and converse in their local language.”
Ranjeet, who has acted in a large number of films in Hindi, Punjabi and other regional languages, says television is his new calling. “It might sound unconvincing when an actor like me who has done 500 films says that television is more competitive than movies, but that is the plain truth. Television has grown by leaps and bounds. TV artistes are far more professional and dedicated compared to film actors.”
In Bollywood, Ranjeet was bored playing the role of a baddie. “Thankfully, TV has given me another platform to showcase my versatility.”
Ranjeet joined the film industry accidentally. Once he was invited to a party in Delhi where he was introduced to Randhir Singh, fondly known as Ronnie those days. “Ronnie took me to Bombay to make a film with me but it did not materialise. However, he introduced me to famous actors like Dev Anand, Dharmendra and Jeetendra. Often I was left speechless while shaking hands and entering into conversation with legends like Dilip Kumar. Though I did not have a godfather, the industry people were kind and generous to me. I remember staying at film-maker Chetan Anand's home for a day...”
The actor's luck changed overnight after he met senior actor Sunil Dutt at a party. Dutt Sahib was impressed with his determination to make a mark in the industry. “Once he jocularly remarked that I had the physique of a panther. Though I was a nobody, Dutt Sahib would pamper me in an effort to boost my confidence. We would go for long drives from Bombay to adjoining towns and sometimes spare time for swimming. He was genuinely fond of me and gave me the role of Reshma's brother in his film Reshma and Shera .
Paradoxically, the actor was never a film buff. “As I hail from a conservative family, watching films was never encouraged in our house. Dev Anand's Guide was the only one I watched as a teenager. More than Dev Sahib, I was impressed with the impeccable dialogue of the film. I still remember most of the lines,” says Ranjeet.
Narrating an interesting incident, Ranjeet says that during the premiere of Sharmeelee at Odeon in Delhi he invited quite a few of his relatives in the hope that they would enjoy his performance. “I was expecting them to congratulate me during the interval but they felt so ashamed and embarrassed watching my character criminally assault a girl (Rakhee) that they left the hall midway. They had never watched a film earlier and could not digest their relative doing such a disgusting act.”
At home, Ranjeet got such a dressing down from his parents and other relatives that he took Rakhee to his house who assured them that the scene was only a part of the film's story. “She told them that I was sharif in real life, and thankfully they were satisfied by her explanation.”
Unlike his on-screen persona, Ranjeet does not touch alcohol or smoke. “Though I smoked, drank and did all kinds of abhorrent deeds on screen, in reality things were different. After pack-up, heroes would start consuming liquor. I have done a large body of work only because I have had no bad habits.”
A complete vegetarian, Ranjeet has simple eating habits. “In fact, I was the first actor who started this concept of doing shifts. Later, Shashi Kapoor followed my footsteps.”
The actor made the mistake of signing all the films that came his way. “Producers would insist on film-makers to insert a rape scene in my films. I could never refuse such films. But over the years I got completely fed up doing the same role again and again. When I returned home, I felt that I had wasted my entire day.”
Though the actor said goodbye to the film industry a couple of years ago, he is in the process of giving his 22-year-old son Chiranjeeva a dream launch. “We fondly call him Jeeva. He participates in car rallies but I feel he is apt for Hindi films. As a father I understand him more than any other film-maker and would be able to show his emotions and positive side to viewers.”
The actor is disillusioned with the fact that comedians and vamps no longer feature in mainstream cinema. “The corporate sector has taken over the film industry. It is interested only in balance sheets but has no idea about creativity. In earlier films, there was a total package. Even villain roles have become a thing of the past. No actor is willing to play only negative characters. Everyone wants to be a hero or heroine.”
