Actors romanticise their struggle a lot, it’s rubbish: Panchayat actor Pankaj Jha

The 45-year-old actor from Bihar’s Saharasa has been working in the film industry for over 20 years. He says acting remained his passion since childhood as he was never good at studies. “Bachpan se hi acting ka keeda tha (I wanted to act since childhood). I was not good at studies. Books were my enemy. Jada Padha likha nahi hoon par logon ko padha sakta hoon (laughs). Somehow I completed my school and joined fine arts course because I liked painting. Thereon I was introduced to the world of theatre and then I moved to Delhi. I joined NSD repertoire and got a chance to work with Mira Nair in Mumbai,” said Jha whose first appearance in front of the camera was in Ram Gopal Varma’s Company.

The actor admires Varma a lot as he believes he is the one who changed the face of Indian cinema and gave new life to many. “All these — Manoj Bajpayee, Anurag Kashyap and others are from Ram Gopal Varma school of films. He should be credited for introducing real actors to Indian movies,” said Jha.

After Company, Jha performed powerful roles in movies like Gulaal, Black Friday, Haasil, Laga Chunri me Daag, and Hazaron Khwaishein Aisi.   The actor believes if one is talented, “producers will give you work”. “I have seen actors begging for a role. That I cannot do. I believe in myself and I can do any role. As far as struggle of actors is concerned, the problem is that people come to Mumbai only to become an actor in films. Aap writing karo, aur koi kaam kartey raho to meet your basics. I used to write for ad films.”

The actor, who was also appreciated for his performance in the web series Nirmal Pathak Ki Ghar Wapsi, argues that “one should even enjoy the struggle.”  “Struggle ka bhi apna maza hai, ussey humey seekhna chhaiye (There is joy in struggle too, we should learn from it). And not just dramatise it into a sob story. I have seen actors shedding tears while talking about their days of hardship. Koi kehta hai mai chaprasi tha, koi kehta hai mai station pe soya tha (Someone says he was a peon, someone says he slept at a railway station). What is wrong in doing the job of a peon,” Jha asks.

“I also didn’t have financial support from my family. So I used to do other jobs when I was not acting. I just can’t sit waiting for roles to come and then only I will work and then will tell about it in interviews. Ye sab bakwas hai. Yaha gareebi ko struggle ko itna glamourise kiya jata hai bewajah (This is rubbish. Here poverty and struggle are glamourised unnecessarily),” said Jha who is also a follower of spiritual guru Osho.

Jha, however, does believe that sycophancy is an integral part of the industry. “One has to bow in front of producers and directors a lot which I can’t do. I was doing a serial once and one day the director said, ‘Aaj tumney namastey nahi kiya. I said kiya tha aapney dekha nahi..aur aapko dikhaney ke liye baar baar namastey karunga to kaam kab karunga (You didn’t greet me with a Namaste today. I said I did but I won’t do it several times just for you to notice it),”

On being asked if he missed out on roles due to his outspoken nature, Jha said, “I don’t mind. I can’t please anyone. I don’t like hypocrisy. To me, acting is one of the most spiritual professions and I can’t compromise.”

The actor, who was initially offered the role of Sultan in Anurag Kashyap’s crime drama Gangs of Wasseypur (It was later played by Pankaj Tripathi), said, “Yes, I was supposed to do that film. That time I was busy shooting for Deswa (a Bhojpuri movie). I told Kashyap that will get back to him. But Mukesh Chabra somehow made Pankaj Tripathi bag that role. I then had a word with Kashyap and I expressed my displeasure because he was a friend. When he was making Black Friday and Gulaal, “humeny bhai samjh ke bin paise ke kaam kar liya. Hum log ko deney ke liye paisa nahi hai aur Bombay Velvet me itna paisa kharcha kar diye. Theek hai ye sab chalta rehta hai (I worked without money. (He) didn’t have money to give us but spent so much on directing Bombay Velvet. It’s fine, all this keeps happening).”