Square peg in a round hole

It fascinates me that an individual whose chosen field is acting, chooses not to play by the rules. I refer to the rules of "Physica...

It fascinates me that an individual whose chosen field is acting, chooses not to play by the rules. I refer to the rules of "Physicality". One would presume that the one aspect an actor would pay attention to is his physical appearance. Most do. In varying degrees of course. There are those that walk around as if they are constantly in a room full of mirrors. Ever looking for their (non-existent) reflection, in other people’s eyes? That actor/star may be an exception. Not everyone is that self-conscious. But, generally, actors do try and pretty themselves.

Then there are the legendary instances of actors going to extremes for a role. They put on weight, or lose it, pump iron, cut their hair or grow it, add beards, shave moustaches and even have surgery performed.

Then how do you explain a square peg in a round hole? That is how Makarand Deshpande strikes me. Makarand is an actor that does not instantly strike you as one. A near-skinny, nervous-energied chap whose face cannot really be seen for all thathair — curling long, messily, both on his face and head. Mercifully he doesn’t have a big beard any more but he still has a busy moustache. But, well … he wouldn’t be a true Indian macho without it. Would he? Though macho is the last adjective to describe Makarand. An actor whose appearance is an anachronism.

For some years now, I had a vague notion of Makarand acting in TV and film parts. Usually playing characters on the lunatic fringe of society. Crazy, neurotic, fanatical, rebellious — that is how I ever saw him. He emanated great intensity and yet, strangely, that intensity did not have the power to move me.

Cut to the opening of the Prithvi Festival, November 1997. At the end of the evening, some drums started to play, sounding their hypnotic beat. I noticed Makarand, actually noticed him, then. He was cavorting and spinning with wild abandon. His enthusiasm very infectious. His sheer joy apparent. There was something about him, je ne sais quoi.

He still looked the same. Thin, longunkempt hair but now there was also something else. He seemed less scattered, there was an aura about him. And he was endearingly real.

CUT from then to now. Three weeks ago. I heard him read from a new play he has written. It was a private performance. He entered a little later than hoped. The audience had already had a long and lively evening and was more in the mood to party than concentrate. Rallying the crowd was near impossible. In this odd scenario, I watched Makarand take over, and how! His 30-minute monologue was from his own play Radha Nivas. His performance, I cannot call it a reading, had us absolutely mesmerised. Accompanied by a daphli‘, alternating with plaintive haunting notes on a flute. The mood he created was mindblowing. The writing itself, left us pretty spellbound.

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Now, completely curious about this chap, I called and met him another evening. Sharing, exploring, and questioning the actor, I discovered a person most amusing, strong, crazy, talented, warm, very loudvolumed, who also has some confused fundas… His past includes lots of success at cricket — inter-school, state level, even played in Australia. Left it for theatre.

Won state medal for acting at 19 and 20. Was into mountaineering and Kho-Kho. Reads and quotes from Sanskrit poetry. Has a formidable talent on stage and writes plays constantly. Has written a feature-length script, will be making film. Has done loads of little roles in films, not necessarily memorable ones. Why? One needs the bread, right. He says Naseeruddin Shah saw a play of his, a couple of years back, and advised him to stop doing those meaningless little parts in film. Because, said Naseer, people’s perception of you will be these chotta motta roles rather than the terrific theatre work you do. I agree.

Coming back to my question on his physicality, Makarand claims he does not care about his film career. He isn’t dying to do the parts he gets. But, I argue, that is the whole point. He is still doing films and serials, all thatis happening is typecasting. It is for him to avoid that.

As for what I felt about him in November 1997, by coincidence, he mentions that there have been changes taking place in him for the last year. "I am more in tune with myself. I am able to separate the different parts of myself and yet channelise them all to work together and simultaneously."

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Listening to Makarand that evening, I had a sense that something very special was happening to him. There feels like some sort of explosion inside him, of creativity. It’s like all the ingredients are cooking just right and that his big time is just around the corner.

Then I hear something exciting. A little bird tells me Satyadev Dubey has written a new play, and guess who he is looking to cast? Dimple Kapadia and Makarand Deshpande.