Journalism of Courage
Dilip Prabhavalkar talks about the interesting incidents on the sets of Munnabhai MBBS and his ambition of becoming a scientist,which he gave up before becoming an actor
On the premiere of Munnabhai MBBS,when Sanjay Dutt met me,he thought I was just a fan,not realising that I was the Gandhi that guided his character throughout the film! says veteran actor Dilip Prabhavalkar as he describes the multiple layers of make-up that concealed his identity even from his co-stars throughout the making of the film. My make-up would take at least two-and-a-half hours and I had to come hours before the shoot whereas Sanjay Dutt would come to the sets and get ready in five minutes. As a result,whenever he would come,I would be wearing the makeup because of which he never saw my real face, smiles the actor who was at the Indian Express Loksatta office on Monday.
While his audience remembers him for an array of roles including the six characters he portrayed in Haswa Phaswi,Chimanrao,Ganpatrao Patil in Katha don Ganpatravanchi,Gandhi in Munnaibhai MBBS or the latest Gangadhar Tipre,Prabhavalkar says that Gandhi has been the toughest character he’s ever portrayed. In all the other roles,there is a scope to interpret and improvise the character,but in the case of Gandhi,the character has to be like him and nothing else. After reading countless books and watching a number of speeches of the Mahatma,I finally portrayed the Father of the Nation by improvising in the framework of authenticity, he smiles,adding,Dressed up like Gandhi,I was once eating chicken. Looking at myself in the mirror was such a hilarious experience that I can never forget the sight of Gandhi shredding his non-violence principle and turning non-vegetarian!
Not getting stuck in an image was a conscious decision the legendary actor took at various stages,thereby bearing the brunt of turning down peoples’ demands. The popularity of Gandhi in Munnabhai MBBS was such that people still call me on October 2 to give reactions on Gandhi Jayanti. The funniest of these have been calls when Sanjay Dutt was arrested and people rang me up asking – ‘you taught him so much in the film Munnabhai MBBS,what advice would you give him to be good?’ Such questions,though a reflection of popularity and appreciation,typecast one in an image and then I decide to put a full stop to it. It was the same reason I stopped playing female characters,old characters and the earlier ones like Chimanrao,mentally challenged individuals and so on.
Busy working on a play based on the book Tuesdays with Morrie,the actor says life could not have been more rewarding as a scientist,As a scientist,I would have earned a living. As an actor,I have earned an enriched life – richer than any money could ever make me.
