Congress has done well in the Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Riteish Deshmukh is a relieved man. After all it was his visit with his father Vilas Rao Deshmukh and Ram Gopal Varma to Mumbai’s Taj Hotel after 26/11 that eventually became one of the reasons for his father quitting the Chief Minister’s post. “I have said whatever I have to say about the incident on national television. I have apologised if I hurt somebody’s sentiments but it was not intentional.” Does he carry any hard feelings about the electronic media? “No, they have a job to do.” Interestingly, he is playing a television reporter in his forthcoming film Rann. “The film has nothing to do with the incident but yes, it is about the politics of news.”
Universal appeal
Before that he is playing Aladin, releasing this Friday. When was he introduced to the fable? “I come from a family where kids are first introduced to ‘Ramayan’. I believe I read the tale in school. It is its universal appeal that makes it timeless. Sujoy (Ghosh) has taken the basic elements of the story — Aladin, genie, lamp and three wishes — and turned it into a contemporary film.” Riteish says his character is quite meek. “He doesn’t want to be the Aladin of the fable. People might feel Riteish is not ‘doing’ anything. But that’s the challenge…making the simple look outstanding.” A difficult task, considering he has to counter Amitabh Bachchan as the flamboyant genie. “If you ask me it was one of my wishes to work him. When I was young, at the video library I didn’t ask for his films by their titles. I would say Ek Amitabh Bachchan ki film dena. If he walks away with some scenes, it is not that it will happen for the first time. He has been doing it for years and with actors better than me.”
Of late Riteish has limited himself to supporting roles in comedies. “It has something to do with what works. I tried a totally different image in Naach. The film flopped badly and the producers refused to cast me in serious roles. Now I am trying again. Aladin is not a comedy nor is Rann and for those who want me to see in the so-called ‘solo’, I am doing a romantic film Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai.”
