Journey of an actor

The first stage performance that actor Satish Kaushik ever gave was in a college play called Mr Abhimanyu. “It was a party scene, which required me to drink a glass of cola pretending that it’s alcohol. The students started hooting, ‘Yeh toh cola pee raha hai’. I was right in front of the stage and said, ‘Aa, tu bhi pee le!” Two years ago, we watched in awe as he gave an extremely intense performance as the tragic protagonist of the play Salesman Ramlal for Prithvi Theatre Festival’s opening night.

Stage beckons

Although Kaushik did act in a number of plays in his college days at Kirorimal in Delhi, it was the world of movies that attracted him. “When we were graduating from college, my dramatics professor Frank Thakurdas called me to his house and said, ‘Satish, you’re capable of doing a lot of things in life, but you should become a professional actor’. I told him that I am not a good-looking guy, how will I become an actor?” In reply, Thakurdas said something which changed the way Kaushik thought about himself and has remained with him ever since. “He told me, ‘When I see you performing, you’re the best looking actor for me’. Those words of his gave me the courage to pursue my dream of acting in films,” recalls Kaushik with a smile.

However, it was easier said than done. In 1979, after completing a course from the National School of Drama, Kaushik landed in Mumbai on August 9 and just a couple of days later, found himself playing a role in a play at Prithvi Theatre. “A play called Bichchu with Om Puri in the main role was going to be staged and I was working backstage. An actor failed to turn up for rehearsals and the director asked me to do that role instead. I agreed and would go to the beach to rehearse my dialogues as I had no place to stay those days. On August 16, I did that play and there was no looking back after that,” he adds. Kaushik acted and even directed a couple of plays post Bichchu , but what a lot of people don’t know is that he worked in a textile company for a whole year, while pursuing his passion for acting. “Bombay was an expensive place and I didn’t want to spend my nights without food in my stomach. For `400 a month, I would make bills from morning till evening and then would head to Prithvi Theatre,” he recalls.

Roles and more

A chance encounter led to him assist Shekhar Kapur and even do a bit role in the movie Masoom. Acting offers followed and soon, his roles such as Calendar in Mr India, Muththu Swamy in Saajan Chale Sasural and Pappu Pager in Deewana Mastana made him a household name. But it was in the year 2000, after directing the successful Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain, that Kaushik returned to the stage with Salesman Ramlal, an adaptation of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. “It was my peak time in movies, and that’s the time I wanted to return. Not when I’m down and out and people assume that’s my reason for doing theatre. I wanted them to say, ‘Wah! He can do both films and theatre, kamaal ka actor hai!” he laughs.

Sixteen years later, life’s come a full circle with Kaushik’s performance as Taayaji in Udta Punjab being appreciated by one and all and his next play, Mr & Mrs Murarilal all set to be staged. “Unlike Ramlal, Murarilal is a man in love with life. He sings, he dances, he heals people. But he is a lonely man,” he  says about his role. The talented performer reveals that he did receive a lot of offers for commercial plays, but couldn’t see himself act in them. “They didn’t suit me. I am looking for content and story and Mr & Mrs Murarilal has both,” says Kaushik of the play directed by Saif Hyder Hasan, also starring Meghna Malik and Amit Pathak.

After three decades of acting, producing and directing films and plays, Kaushik’s looking forward to continue doing good work on the big screen as well as on the stage. He is producing two films and is eager to start work on his next directorial project. After Udta Punjab, he wants to work with younger and newer directors. “I want them to know that there is an actor who has much more than comedy in him,” he says. We agree, but can’t help telling him that for us, he will always remain our ‘Calendar’. “That was an iconic role. It will always be special to me,” he adds, “Do you know, there is a restaurant called Calendar’s Kitchen in Delhi? They had called me to ask for the branding.” Can’t say we’re surprised.

Mr & Mrs Murarilal will be staged on July 16 and 17 at Rangsharda Auditorium, Bandra (W)at 7.30 pm