Jitendra Kumar reveals a director told him he gets ‘small town stories’ because of the way he ‘looks and speaks’

Actor Jitendra Kumar discusses why he mostly appears in films and shows based in small towns.

Jitendra Kumar in a still from Dry Day.

Jitendra Kumar, the actor who rose to fame with his groundbreaking performance as everyman in web shows like TVF Pitchers, Kota Factory and Amazon Prime Video’s Panchayat, among others, is back in the limelight with Saurabh Shukla’s directorial — Dry Day. The actor, once again, appears as the lead in a small-town story.

In this interview with indianexpress.com, when asked if he feel stuck in small-town stories and films, he says he feels fortunate that he’s able to portray relatable roles. When asked if he misses being a part of bigger, more mainstream films like Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, the actor said he doesn’t really miss that and shared how the film’s director once told him how he is approached for small-town stories because of the way he looks and speaks.

He said, “I think these are bigger films. My director (filmmaker Hitesh Kewalya) who directed me in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan had told me, ‘jis tarah se tu dikhta hai, jis tarah se tu bolta hai (the way you look and speak)’, you attract these kinds of stories, stories that need to be told. Today when writers write these kinds of stories, they think of you, so don’t worry about it.’”

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The actor confessed that while he used to get “stressed” about it earlier, he now considers it a blessing in disguise. He said, “I used to think that I am being repetitive, or the stories I am being a part of are similar, that I am doing films based in small towns. He told me not to think that way and that it’s a blessing. There are stories in these towns that need to be told. These issues need to be talked about and discussed, and told in an authentic way and that’s why the writers think about me in their stories. So that’s the way it’s going on. I feel blessed that I have been a part of stories that are impactful and those that need to be told.”

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Jitendra calls his latest film, Dry Day, a relatable story that is steeped in everyday life. “Men, after returning from work indulge in drinking and families have a tough time. When I was younger, I had heard how some women in Haryana went on a strike and demanded that liquor should not be sold in their area. After the prohibition was imposed, the men started going to neighbouring states like Rajasthan, and they had to start selling alcohol in Haryana again so the men at least return home!”

“My family, my brother and sister would always tell me that I should do a film on something like this. So when Dry Day came to me, I was happy that people around me would be able to relate to it and get entertained,” Jitendra concluded.

Dry Day also stars Shriya Pilgaonkar and is directed by actor Saurabh Shukla. It is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

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