The curtain raiser

We agree Bollywood is starved of true talent. That mediocrity and melodrama rule. But a handful of actors have proved their mettle. And no...

We agree Bollywood is starved of true talent. That mediocrity and melodrama rule. But a handful of actors have proved their mettle. And not just in India. Some desis have cast a spell on international audiences as well. Take the case of Om Puri 8212; his role in East Is East heaped praise aplenty on him. There are other actors as well who may not have had leading roles but have made their presence felt. Certainly that is the case with these five actors:

VICTOR BANERJEE:

What if he has had to settle for the idiot box at the fag end of his career? This talented Bengali actor has acted in a number of English films, and excelled at them. His most significant role was in David Lean8217;s Oscar-winning film, A Passage To India 1984 8212; a visually exciting drama of a sexually repressed and spiritually bankrupt British-ruled India. The nervous Dr Aziz played by Victor Banjeree, is an educated Indian man leading a quiet life under the shadow of British domination and quot;eager to impress thewomenquot;. He is the director8217;s representative of the quot;realquot; India.

SAEED JAFFREY:

His roles are many and varied. From television The Far Pavilions in 1988 to A Passage to India to Attenborough8217;s Gandhi in which he played the role of Sardar Patel, Saeed Jaffrey has palyed many cameo roles. The most memorable is, of course, Nasser in My Beautiful Laundrette. Set within the Asian community in London during the Thatcher years, Nasser runs a laundrette. The interaction of the other roles with Nasser and his quot;profitable laundrettequot; makes for a refreshing comedy. Unfortunately, Jaffrey is better remembered these days for being thrown out of the British sitcom Coronation Street for a quot;drinking problemquot;.

SHABANA AZMI:

With more than a 100 power-packed performances in theatre and films to her credit, this lady, as we can see, is still going strong. Among her roles in English films, the most talked-about was in Madam Sousatzka with Shirley McLaine, whichshe played in her effortless, convincing style. She also featured in The Son of Pink Pantherth seasoned actors like Roberto Benigni and Herbert Lom.

GULSHAN GROVER:

The archetypal Bollywood villain might have entered the international circuit through sheer fluke with just one English film, Jag Mundhra8217;s Monsoon Mundhra is known in Hollywood for his soft porn films, but for all the infamous hype and criticism that the film received, Gulshan Grover played the only decent role in the film as Brian Miranda, a drug smuggler. Perhaps his potential remains untapped and given the chance, the world could have more of this bad man.