Bollywood

, April 9, 2007 - 04:36 IST   He can make you laugh till you roll on the floor! Meet the talented stand-up comedian - Raju Srivastav. Raju is not new to Bollywood, as he played the hilarious sidekick in many films like Maine Pyar Kiya, Mr. Azad and Baazigar. He will now be seen in Raj Pendurkar’s comic flick Bombay to Goa in the lead role. How did you bag the role for Bombay to Goa? I have done around thirty films so far. I began my career with Maine Pyar Kiya. That was followed by Baazigar, Mr. Azad, Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon, Aamdani Athanni Kharcha Rupaiya, Waah! Tera Kya Kehna, Mazdhaar. I have also done a lot of television like Shaktimaan, Dekh Bhai Dekh, Ek Se Badhkar Ek, Tea Time Manoranjan, Andaaz, Idhar Udhar and Reporter. Since I have such a big record then films will naturally be offered! Do you think your career graph changed after you won the Great Indian Laughter Challenge? Yes, there was a jump in my career. It happened for the better. Now nobody asks me for my past record. People know me as the Laughter Champion guy. They don’t even want to listen or talk about the past. When asked ‘Who Raju Srivastav’ people answer ‘The Laughter Champion guy’. So getting a film is no big deal. But someday or the other I have to leave films. I can’t do more films because right now I have five TV serials on air. I have a serial on Doordarshan called Nonsense Unlimited. There is one on Sony called Comedy Ka Baadshah. There is the comedy show on Star One. I also do a daily show on Aaj Tak called Aisi Ki Taisi. So I am refusing many films. I get offered around one film per month. But I don’t go for it. Poeple don’t even want to listen or talk about my past. When asked ‘Who Raju Srivastav’ people answer ‘The Laughter Champion guy’. When you came to Bombay from Kanpur, did you always want to be a part of Bollywood? No, I never wanted to be a Bollywood actor. I thought I had no recognition in the film industry. I always thought that Bollywood was for industry kids. So I never came to Bombay for television or films. I had come here to look for a job. But I had the ability to modulate and adapt voices of certain Bollywood stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra and Dilip Kumar. I used to do it just as a hobby. I thought that I could join some orchestra or musical group and do some mimicry and caricature when I do a job in Bombay. I primarily came to Bombay so that I could work part-time and perform in local orchestras, or during birthday parties or Ganpati. That is why I came running to this city. Or else you would find me in Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad or Bangalore. You’re playing the role of Mike in Bombay to Goa. A bit about Mike…I play Mike - who is one of the passengers on the Bombay to Goa bus. He is writing a book on tourism. He interacts with all the passengers in the bus. He has a recorder through which he records all their transactions. He has a dream of publishing a book someday. There are many people from the Great Indian Laughter Challenge show in this film - like Sunil Pal and Ahsaan Qureshi. Did you feel at home working with them? In this field, all these boys - Sunil and the others, are quite junior to me. When they were in their village, they used to listen to my cassettes. Sunil was telling me that he used to buy my cassettes and listen to them and wonder if he would ever be able to meet me. So these guys are facing the camera for the first time while I have done a lot of films. But it was nice since there was a brotherly feeling amongst us on the sets. I don’t treat them as juniors. We are all brothers. We make people laugh, so we all belong to the same clan. We are family. When you have a medium like Hindi films, through which all of India can see you, then why cater to only one particular section of the society with Bhojpuri films Do you recall any funny moments on the sets? Yes we used to have a lot of dhamaal and masti while shooting in Goa. The shoot went on for fifteen days in Goa. We used to play pranks on each other. I remember, once from my hotel room, I called Sunil Pal’s room. Pretending to be a girl, I told him “I am a big fan. I see you in my dreams. I want to meet you”. He said “Yes sure why not? Meet me in the reception area”. So Sunil got dressed and came to the reception. I went there as well. Of course there was no girl there. I asked him “Sunil what are you doing here?” He got totally embarrassed and said “Mere chacha mujhe milney aa rahe hain”. I played a prank on Ahsaan Qureshi as well. I called the Room Service and asked them to deliver pineapple juice in his room. The first time he drank it. After ten minutes again, I sent juice in his room. He said he hasn’t called for it. He drank that too. After fifteen minutes I sent juice in his room again! He got frustrated and came out of the room and asked “Goa mein sirf ananas milta hai kya? ” I get offered around one film per month. But I don’t go for it. How was it working with your director, Raj Pendurkar? Raj was the assistant director in the Great Indian Laughter Challenge. He asked us to do a film with him. I did not want to do any films, because I was busy with television shows by then. But he urged me to join in for the sake of our friendship. He said this is the first film I am making, for the sake of my career please do this film. He said it will be great news that the Laughter Challenge guys are doing a film. So finally I decided to do this project for Raj. Who’s your favourite comedian in Bollywood? In films, it is Kishore Kumar and on stage it is Johnny Lever. And my favourite film actor is Amitabh Bachchan. What are your expectations from Bombay to Goa? The film has been made very well. We had a lot of fun while shooting. The staff and cameramen were also laughing. And I feel that it is more important for them to laugh because they shoot everyday and the jokes are monotonous for them. But they were also laughing so I feel that we have really done a good job. Are you planning to do any more Bollywood films? This year I am doing four films - Bombay to Goa, Big Brother with Sunny Deol and Priyanka Chopra, Jahan Jaaeyenga Hamen Paaeyega, and Dil Bhi Kya Cheeze Hai. I have just completed these four films. But I don’t want to give much importance to movies. I am more interested in stand-up comedy. I am happier with the stage shows. Going amidst the people and making them laugh is what I like doing. Films for me are a smaller medium compared to stage shows. Films don’t seem so important to me. Doing stage shows is my first love. Then come television and films. So I want stand-up comedy to be so popular that people ask “You’re not going back to films are you?” I want stand-up comedy to be so popular that people ask me “You’re not going back to films are you?” What about Bhojpuri films? I have done two Bhojupuri films thirteen to fourteen years ago - one was Kab Hoi Byaah Hamaar and the other was Hamaar Bhauji. But now I am not doing any Bhojpuri films. That is secondary. When you have a medium like Hindi films, through which all of India can see you, then why cater to only one particular section of the society?  

Original post by kapil