New Delhi, June 13 (Agency) Quintessential actor Raghubir Yadav, who meant total entertainment package for the 90’s kid with his “Mungerilal Ke Haseen Sapne” and “Mulla Nasruddin” has praised the OTT platforms. The actor, who has received wide acclamation for his work with many a milestone said emergence of the OTTs have been a boon for many deserving writers and actors who otherwise would have remained in the shadows. Raghubir, who debuted with ‘Massey Sahib’ in 1985 and launched his television career with ‘Mungerilal…’ in 1988, has close to a four-decade-long career in the entertainment industry. In an exclusive interaction with UNI, the “Lagaan” actor talked about how the industry has had it moments of ups and downs over the years. “There is growth and decline both. Both these things have gone hand in hand. “When I first came, the type of environment there was whether films, theatres, it felt like our culture is preserved.
“Later when this race of channels began, then it all became mere business. “When our culture was made business, then I was bit upset and disappointed at that time,” he said. “We have so much variety in our culture that you won’t find anywhere else. We have so many beautiful texts written in India, if we start working on these things, then we need centuries to showcase them,” said the 64-year-old who is also a music composer, singer and set designer. “Then came the age of remake and everything started going a bit haywire with channels producing 4,000-5,000 episodes, it became only business. “We were not moving forward but only backwards.” Now, though his mood is upbeat as he looks towards the future not with anxiety but hope, as he says: “With the emergence of OTT, things have quiet settled down. “Many good writers and actors who were not given opportunities, have now come to forefront, and it has given me a hope that the environment of the industry will change and those who do hard work will come forward and present nice work on the screen,” the ‘Asoka’ actor said. So what does the box office (BO) means to Raghubir, he said, “I want good work. Anything can get hit on box office, I don’t believe in that. Many good films don’t make it on the BO, that doesn’t means that movie is not good. I don’t have much expectations when it comes to all these things.
“I just want good work because it is remembered by posterity, it becomes history. “But if you earn a lot on the box office by any means, then it is like garbage only. Many films are there those that are hit in the name of being commercial successes but such movies don’t last over the ages.” On aspects he looks out for while signing a project, the ‘Dilli 6’ actor listed: “First I see what the story is trying to tell, then I see not only my character but others as well. “I see whether it has been written by any experienced person or not. I see if there is something new in the story and if it is not copied from anywhere. Only then I accept it.” The actor whose heart resides on the theatre stage, also made it clear: “If someone has copied the movie, or making a remake, then I don’t usually agree with it, and I stay away from that.” Raghubir, who has performed in over 70 plays and around 2,500 shows with the Parsi Theatre Company, calls theatre his favourite medium. “If you have done theatre, then one understands many aspects like character’s discipline, boundaries, etc. “Theatre doesn’t teach only one thing, but a plethora of knowledge comes along with it. “If one has to really learn the art of acting then he/she should start from theatre, and then gradually move forward.
“Don’t just rush towards Mumbai and think that you will get the movie. In such cases, the person will lag behind and then face depression and frustration. “So, if you want to come in this industry, then do a little hard work on yourself, polish yourself, and then enter this world,” he said. On his thoughts about the North versus South industry, the ‘Chehre’ actor said, “a great deal of work is done in the south. “In our industry, everyone is after the remakes, or making multiple sequels of the same movie, it doesn’t really serve any purpose. It can earn on Box Office maybe, but won’t get the real taste of success which our industry actually deserves. “It’s won’t be a win for our culture. With OTT, I feel people have realised this thing, and realisation is the only way out.” Raghubir Yadav was last seen in ‘Panchayat 2’ and ‘The Great Indian Murder’.