‘I never lost hope even when my film got shelved’
Actor Krishna Kaurav who made his film debut with ‘Jai Gangaajal’ feels being a theatre enthusiast has helped him understand acting to the core, “Of course, if not for theatre, then it would have been impossible for me to understand the nuances of acting and public connect. Also, it gave me all the confidence to perform in front of any kind of audience. The only thing amiss was proper finances,” said the young actor, who has done a number of stage performances in Lucknow.
Hailing from Bhopal, Kaurav worked for a private bank for two years to align his finances. Talking about his early days, he said, “I was unable to part from theatre and also required money to shift to Mumbai, so the only option I was left with was to take up a job. So, I joined a bank and earned a decent sum for my future in the city of dreams.
“But I never lost hope even when my completely shot film was shelved. As I was struggling in the industry I knew at the back of my mind that I have theatre to fall back on if things don’t go my way. I got a chance to play a small stint in ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ and that’s how things got on roll and I did a number of TV shows before I got a web series ‘Soch Ek Fullstop,’ as lead.”
Soon Kaurav will be seen in a big banner film. “It’s a film based on a war hero with a top production house along with another titled ‘Mandhbuddhi’ and an upcoming TV soap ‘Mehndi Hai Rachne Wali’. So, I am glad that my life is taking its own course and my career is shaping up the way I wished years back,” he said.
Not one to mince words, Javed Akhtar has been vocal about many issues, including the vilification of the entertainment industry. “It paid a price for being high profile. Film industry se logon ka strange relation hai; they love, hate, admire, envy. What happened was an unjustified and extreme attack. Chalo, yeh bhi hona tha. Today, the industry is back on its feet. Things keep moving on,” says the veteran writer-poet.
With many great talents making the industry what it is, Akhtar finds the allegation of nepotism absurd, as “you can give a chance to your kid but you can’t make them a star”. “Sure, a star kid gets a break more easily but that won’t mean anything if they don’t have talent. It is the audiences who decide who to love, make a star,” he says.
As the chairman of Indian Performing Rights Society (IPRS), Akhtar worked towards helping musicians and technicians in financial crisis, last year.
And while most of 2020 was spent in lockdown, he reveals this year will be hectic for him. “I am working on three scripts and, for the first time in my life, writing a short film. I also intend to do some work on OTT… and later, a celebration of 100 years of (lyricist) Sahir Ludhianvi is being planned,” he shares.
The veteran writer also plans to get the Covid-19 vaccine soon. “It isn’t enough to think rationally but one should act rationally. Don’t be rash. Read and enquire about the vaccine that’s most trustworthy and has got good results and go for it,” he concludes.
What happened was an extreme and unjustified attack... Today, the industry is back on its feet. JAVED AKHTAR, Lyricist-writer