Last Sunday actor/director Amol Palekar said, “I read a piece of cinema news today and I am baffled. It was about how three actors have been chosen for one role. The three actors in question have been doing distinctly varied roles until now, how can they all be chosen for a role?” The actor says, that could be one reason why he isn’t keen on being back on the screen. “I would rather not act than do a role where I am a misfit,” he says. The Baton baton main star reveals that he enjoys it “when people ask me why I am not seen in a film. It is much better than people commenting ‘why is he still acting,’” he laughs.
Dressed for the evening dinner and a meeting with child directors thereafter, Amol is dressed in a crisp yellow cotton shirt. While one talks to this Chitchor it comes out that he isn’t too different from the roles he did on screen, nor does he speak any differently. The soft spoken actor measures his words and expressions when he talks and solves issues, the point in question was photographers’ squabbling for a perfect photo with the actor. He turns to them and says, “That’s ok, don’t be angry or annoyed - everything will be done.”
As a filmmaker, he is waiting to shoot three movies in the Northeast and says, “My wife is my scriptwriter, so the moment the scripts are ready, I will begin work. That region of the country is untouched and as a country we need to know what is in store there,” says Amol.
Isn’t that going against the tide? “Why? What is wrong in that? Take this for example. We have a lot of popular material to read and then there are classics which are read and re-read. A ‘classic’ is a classic because the writer was far sighted; that’s why the stories are relevant in all times.” So is the case with movies and the roles actors portray. “I played characters which anyone could meet anywhere, the stories were about you and me. It was not opulent and extravagant but even then people loved them,” says the Golmal actor.
Finally one Choti si baat: How does he see himself in future? “I think I will get back to painting,” he smiles.
