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After many summers

Photo: R.V. Moorthy

TALENTED Ashutosh Rana believes in work speaking for him

Speaking to Ashutosh Rana is an exercise in purity of language. He is a rare Indian, a rarer actor still who believes one must converse in chaste language without introducing words from another language.

Speaking about Summer 2007, he gives a practical demonstration of how we all slip into different languages during the course of a conversation. “If you cannot speak pure language, practise at home. Never mix languages,” he advises, then softens the blow, saying, “language is for conversation. It should not become an issue for debate.”

In fact, he is himself learning a new language: Marathi. “I learnt Marathi for my kids’ sake. I am still brushing it up. I am married to a Maharashtrian (Renuka Shahane). My kids speak Marathi at home, the reason being they can learn Marathi or Gujarati only at home while languages such as Hindi or English can be learnt outside too.”

His fondness for speaking chaste Hindi is well documented, but the seasoned actor says it comes naturally to him. “I come from a small town in Madhya Pradesh where English is not popularly used in conversation. In fact, my small town upbringing helped me play the doctor in “Summer 2007”. ”

The critically acclaimed film has not exactly done wonders at the box-office. And along with the film, Ashutosh has himself lost out on greater recognition. “Our film got the worst possible marketing. I myself am poor at marketing. I cannot sell myself,” he admits.

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