Indian cinema has long been driven by the star system. However, it is not just the lead star who contributes to a film’s success, but also the supporting cast and crew. In a recent podcast with Aftab Puttoo, actor Rajesh Kumar, best known for his roles in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai and Saiyaara, spoke about the class system on film sets, revealing that on many occasions, lead stars do not even speak to supporting cast members.
Rajesh Kumar says lead actors are insecure of supporting cast
Rajesh spoke about how people in the industry have been divided into categories. He explained that if one visits the set of a big film, they will notice that only four or five people, the director, cinematographer, main actors and the lead writer, are involved in discussions, while the rest are not considered important.
Rajesh further added that while he has never worked with Amitabh Bachchan, he has heard that the veteran actor likes to rehearse his scenes with supporting cast members. However, he mentioned that lately, not many lead actors rehearse with the supporting cast. He said, “They don’t have any interaction with the secondary cast, and that is why the film suffers, because sometimes people think that the secondary actor might overshadow us. They make it so that the secondary cast gets their lines at the last moment. This way, the actor is just consumed with learning the lines.”
Sharing his own experience, he said, “I have worked with some ‘great actors’ who will not look at you and will ask the associate, ‘Yeh aisa kyu bol rahe hain (Why is he saying this)? No, we don’t need rehearsal. We will go for a take.’ I am just saying that we need to get out of this system.”
Rajesh Kumar’s recent and upcoming work
Rajesh was last seen in the movie Saiyaara, which also featured Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda. Helmed by Mohit Suri and backed by YRF, the film emerged as a blockbuster and became the highest-grossing romantic film in India.
He will next be seen in the movie Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai. Helmed by David Dhawan, the film stars Mrunal Thakur, Pooja Hegde and Varun Dhawan in lead roles, along with Mouni Roy, Maniesh Paul, Jimmy Shergill, Kubbra Sait and others in key roles. The film’s first look was revealed today, April 14, and it received mixed reactions. Many even compared it to Govinda’s 2006 film Sandwich. The film is scheduled to release in theatres on May 22.
