Rajesh Malgudi,Filmstar!

A Chinese dhaba owner at the ITO blithely stars in the picaresque of his own life

The smiling presence of Rajesh Malgudi,who presides grandly over the tiny confines of Adarsh Chinese Food Centre at ITO,is inviting enough for a passerby to stop and order a plate of spicy anda chowmein. If you peer over the counter,and almost into the enormous pan bubbling with typical Chinese condiments,you will find the rickety walls plastered with colourful cinema posters screaming dramatic titles such as Peedha,Mayajaal,Pakhandi Pandit. And then you will notice the faint resemblance between the man on the posters and the man carefully pulling out paper napkins for you. Slightly surprised,obviously curious and a wee bit tickled,you venture to ask: Kya aap ho in posters pe?

Malgudi smiles abashedly,with no trace of pride in his voice,and his ekdum filmi story comes tumbling out. His resume boasts of careers as a purchase officer,a film star and producer,a restaurateur and a property dealer. Clearly,here is a man who enjoys wearing many hats. A young Malgudi came to Delhi from Chham in Tehri Garhwal in 1980,when his cinematic streak hadnt yet begun to reveal itself. Starting out as a purchase officer,he often played the role of Raavan in Ramlilas. Spurred by the thrill of being onstage,he,with three of his friends,decided to dabble in cinema.

Bagiyan Beti was the fruit of their labour over the summer of 2004. They produced it,starred in it and marketed it. The film was declared a massive hit in the VCD market,and the first taste of success propelled them to make another. And then one more. All the three movies enjoyed varying degrees of success in Uttarakhand. By this time,Malgudi had learned the ropes of the film business,and parted ways with his friends who went back to more regular forms of livelihood.

Delivering hit after hit,playing the hero and the anti-hero with consummate ease,Malgudi had become a recognisable face in the Uttarakhand cinema. A knee injury in 2010 put him out of action for 10 months. Not one to remain idle,his mind feverishly worked on other avenues. A lover of Chinese food,he decided to open a small joint where he could hang out,eat his favourite food and watch the crowds. His stall nestles awkwardly among the various businesses at the ITO traffic signal,an inexplicable place where shops,people and vehicles jostle for space. It has been almost a year since the Adarsh Chinese Food Centre came into being. Malgudi oversees it with a loving carelessness and is thoroughly unperturbed by the little money it makes.

Malgudis second biggest hit was Chham Ghungroo. He had also received two nominations in the 2010 Uttarakhand Cine Awards,enough for both Best Actor and Best Villain. However,none of his movies had a theatrical release. The Uttarakhand film industry,it would seem,runs more on the passion of individuals such as Malgudi than actual money.

Malgudi is 16 films old. Two months ago,when he saw the first signs of the Chinese eatery fizzling out,he decided to invest his savings in a property business. He is one among the sea of immigrants in this everymans city. Ask him what business he plans to plant his fingers in next,he smiles,shakes his head and confides no more cheating on films!

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