‘Over the years I have realised that awards and fame have shelf lives’

Veteran actor Ashish Vidyarthi isn’t sure if actors are born or made, but the National Award winner is certain that no good actor ever stops learning. He has acted in numerous films across different film industries, but the National School of Drama (NSD) graduate hasn’t forgotten his roots in theatre and still enthralls packed auditoriums with plays. come June 24, Ashish will stage one of his longest running mono acts,

Dayashankar Ki Diary

, in Hyderabad. and the Jai Simha actor is elated about it.

“Hyderabad is like a second home to me. It’s always a pleasure to come back to the city. This time however, it’s even more special as I am performing one of my favourite plays here, as part of the Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Festival. I think it will be the play’s debut in Hyderabad,” he says, over the telephone from Mumbai. In a chat with Hyderabad Times, the actor spoke about crossing over to the South Indian film industry, why he loves

Tollywood

and his take on fame. Excerpts.

For many of us in Hyderabad, you are a Tollywood villain; not a bollywood actor. But your entry into South Indian cinema came quite late in your career, because you stopped getting desired roles in Bollywood. How was the transition for you?

I transitioned from a theatre actor to a Hindi film actor and after a few years, I became a South Indian film actor. I often joke about the whole process saying, ‘From an unknown
person I became Ashishji in Bollywood and after a few years, I again became who’s-that-guy in South Indian cinema’. Throughout the process, I realised that trappings of fame are short-lived. When you make a transition, there are two things to consider — the risk factor of venturing into the unknown and the opportunities up for grabs. I always focused on the latter. Looking back now, I think the decision to work in South Indian cinema was a risk worth taking.

You are an NSD alumni with a background in serious theatre and realistic cinema. Yet, our Tollywood films transform you into this super villain who is fighting larger-than-life heroes. You don’t seem to discriminate against roles that come your way....

Recently, I’d written something on this subject pondering on one question — ‘Do roles define you or you define roles?’ Very often, you get to play characters which are not up to your taste. But what matters is how you play those roles; how you make those roles yours and add a little novelty to them. It can be a phenomenal or a pathetic character, but when you play it sincerely, it will have the best of you in it. And if you are upset about playing a certain character, your mood will spoil your day. The point is to make every day, be it at shoot or otherwise, worthwhile. Thankfully, my experience of working in the

Telugu

film industry has been extremely rich. I consider myself fortunate to have got such a lovely environment and co-stars to work with. I never had to blend in here.

You have worked with a lot of Tollywood stars such as NTR, Balakrishan and Sai Dharam Tej. If you were to pick a favourite co-star, who would it be?

Ah, it’s very difficult to pick one favourite co-star! But I quite enjoyed working with NTR and Ram Charan. Let’s rewind a little — you were born to a Malayali father and a Bengali mother in Delhi; moved to Bombay in 1992; went on to act in all the major film industries and worked in 11 different Indian languages. You seem to be a true blue Indian actor…
(Cuts in) To be a true blue Indian actor, all you need is a valid passport, that’s all! (laughs) On a serious note, shifting my base around India has made me realise that you should be happy with what you have. By getting exposed to different lifestyles in different cities, I have learnt to be content. For instance, in Bombay, when the mercury hits 35, we’re like ‘oh! It’s so hot’. but when you see people toiling in Hyderabad summer without a fuss, you realise how small your problems are. My experiences opened me up to embrace newer things.

Is it this approach to life that kept you going through all the ups and downs in your career?

You see, my first release in Hindi was a Govind Nihalani movie (Droh Kaal, 1994). I even won a National Award for it. I remember when the winners’ list was announced and I got the award for the Best Supporting Actor, Govindji told me that we should celebrate the win and asked me to arrange for a party. I went to a popular Chinese restaurant and booked only three tables as I was really low on cash. When people started coming in and half of the eatery got filled, my anxiety compounded. People were having a good time and I was sitting in a corner with hands on my head. At the end of the party, I walked up to Govindji and told him about my concern. He looked at me and calmly said, ‘who asked you to worry about all that. It’s on me; it’s my party’. I was like ‘if you had told me this before, I too could have enjoyed the party...’ (chuckles). Today I can laugh thinking about it but at that point, it was a serious issue. I had come to Bombay to make a living and I had to support my parents financially. It was my biggest concern. When you are starting off as an actor, there is this urge to do better so that you can support your family; the people that matter to you. And that urge also taught me to respect and prioritise my needs. Over the years, I have realised that awards and fame have shelf lives; they are not going to be there for you forever. You must appreciate that people have acknowledged your efforts but you shouldn’t take things for granted. Fans love to make celebrities out of common people but it comes with a price. The few of us who realise this stop taking this whole ‘celebrity’ thing seriously. It’s not just actors; everybody should realise that nothing lasts forever.

Coming back to your play, what do you think is the reason behind the longevity of Dayashankar Ki Diary?

It is the story of a person who comes to a metropolis from a small town. It’s also the story of what happens when you cannot cope with reality and your dreams take over; you start weaving stories and lose touch with rationality. It’s a poignant tale, beautifully crafted by Nadeera Babbar. I always felt it’s my story and that feeling is still intact after two decades of doing this play. In fact, everybody who has watched the play feels a part of Dayashankar in them and that, I’d say, one of the reasons for the play’s longevity. But the way I approach the play keeps changing every time because theatre is a live thing and you aren’t the same person all your life.

Stay updated with the latest entertainment news on Times of India. Don't miss the Pushpa 2 review and box office collection.