Journalism of Courage
A veteran of over 200 films,Raza Murad speaks on his negative roles in Bollywood and why theatre commands his deepest respect
The thespian peformer has acted in over 200 films,after beginning his career in Bollywood in the mid-60s. He has starred in some of the most successful films in Bollywood till date,like Raj Kapoors Prem Rog and Ram Teri Ganga Maili,Henna,Khuddaar,Ram Lakhan,Tridev,Pyar Ka Mandir,Aankhen,Mohra and Gupt,among many more. Recently,members of the city-based theatre group Swatantra Theatre had the opportunity of interacting with Raza Murad,the bad man of Bollywood at the premises of the Shri Mahavir Jain Vidyalaya. All the aspiring theatre artists of the group had about an hour of interaction with Murad on the various nuances of acting. Some of the young members of the group who aspire to try their luck in Bollywood got some valuable tips from the legendary actor on the various survival strategies in the industry.
Murad,who is an alumnus of the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India (FTII),is now the chief selector of FTII.
Recalling his acting days,he says,I was without any work for seven years after my first film Namak Haram,but I never gave up. I was always introspecting,was critical of my work and was trying to hone all the skills that I thought were lacking in me. I strongly believed in my abilities and knew that I would one day become successful.
But as they say,when the going gets tough,the tough get going and a call from the legendary actor-director Raj Kapoor for the film Prem Rog proved to be the turning point of Murads career. After the film Ram Teri Ganga Maili,also directed by Raj Kapoor,Murad was flooded with offers. On being asked why he plays only negative characters,when he can play any character he wants,he replies wittily,I was not a bad man,I was made into a bad man.
Although he may not have acted in many plays himself,he demonstrates a lot of respect for theatre artists. I respect theatre artists from the bottom of my heart. While films are totally a directors medium,as he knows how to take out the best from his actors,theatre is totally an actors medium. Once the artistes go to perform on stage,its all on them to make the play a hit and there are no retakes for theatre actors.
Murad laments the fact that compared to film actors,theatre artists do not get their due share. The actor who believes that any success rests on three pillars talent,hard work and luck,and one mirrors the other,advises aspiring actors never to take success for granted. It is not important to be successful but its very important to maintain your hard-earned success, he adds philosophically.
