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There are some actors who leave a huge mark even in a small, one-scene role. In a career spanning thirty-five years, Brijendra Kala has played a variety of roles in theatre and films. In films, he has played both small and larger parts but regardless of the length of the role, his performance has always stood out. In this interview, he talks about his new film ‘Ekkees Tareekh Shubh Muhurat’, the journey from being a TV writer to acting in films, his most memorable role till date, his criteria for picking up a project and upcoming films.
Tell us something about your character in ‘Ekkees Tareekh Shubh Muhurat’.
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The film is set in Mathura. In small towns, there are always some people who are eager to find matches for young man and woman they know of. The character I play keep making this young man and his father, played by Sanjai Mishra, met several women but something or the other goes wrong every time and it gives rise to a comic situation in the film.
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Whether it is a full-fledged role in ‘Fryday’ or a small role in ‘PK’ – you always leave an impact with your performance. Have you ever differentiated between the parts you are offered?
No, I try to play every role I am offered to the best of my abilities. I do not differentiate between small and big roles. I have come to Lucknow to shoot for a cameo in Satish Kaushik’s new film. It is just a one day shoot but I really admire Satish ji as an artist, so I was more than happy when he asked me to be a part of his film. When Rajkumar Hirani offered me ‘PK’, I loved the basic concept of the film. Even though my role was small, since it was a big film, I was noticed. Similarly, in ‘Tubelight’ also I had a small part. A lot of people say the film underperformed but it earned more than 200 crores globally and I felt thrilled about the fact that so many people watched a film which I was a part of.
Which has been your most memorable till date?
I have received the most accolades for my role in ‘Paan Singh Tomar’. I also loved the way my character shaped up in ‘Mithya’ and ‘Fryday’.
What are the most important criteria you look before signing a film?
To be honest, I have mostly been offered smaller parts in films. People would be surprised to know that I was supposed to shoot for ‘Fryday’ for only two days but Govinda ji and director Abhishek Dogra really liked my character and worked on developing it further during the shoot. That is how it became a full-fledged role.
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After doing several theatre stints for several years in Delhi, you came to Mumbai and started out as a TV writer before acting assignments came your way. Have you ever thought of writing a feature film?
I had co-written a film with Sanjai Mishra called ‘Pranam-Walekum’. Sanjai also directed the film. I have also written a couple of scenes in a film called ‘Crouching Tiger’ which I have acted in. I write another film which was shot three years back called ‘Pappu Mishra I Love You’. I got a lot of writing offers in the last couple of years but I did not take many of them as I was caught up with acting assignments. After a few years, when I hopefully establish myself further as an actor, I will be more active as a writer as well.
What are you doing next?
Some of my older films will be releasing now. ‘Bhaiaji Superhit’ will be releasing shortly. There is another film called ‘Yeh Hai Mumbai Meri Jaan’ which I shot three years back. ‘Sharma Ji Ki Lag Gayi’ with Krushna Abhishek and Mugsha Godse should also come out soon. I have played an interesting part in Leena Yadav’s ‘Rajma Chawal’ will be releasing on Netflix.
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