EXCLUSIVE: Jolly LLB actor Saurabh Shukla REVEALS he stopped considering himself an actor post Satya; 'Saara din betha rehta tha computer pe'
In an exclusive chat with Pinkvilla, Saurabh Shukla spoke about his time when he didn't wish to continue acting after the release of Satya. Scroll down to read more.
Saurabh Shukla, who is best known for his role as Kallu Mama in Ram Gopal Varma's Satya, is one of the finest actors in Hindi cinema. The celebrated artist got his big break in RGV's 1998 film for which he also co-wrote the script. Jolly LLB actor Saurabh Shukla recently revealed that he stopped considering himself an actor post-Satya. Shukla remembered that he would spend hours working on his computer.
During his exclusive chat with Pinkvilla, Saurabh Shukla reminisced about his journey after featuring as Kallu Mama in Satya. Shukla recalled that he wasn't being offered meaty roles and decided not to act for some time.
Talking about the period from 1998 to 2011, Shukla recounted, "Is period ke beech mein 6 saal ka aisa mera time tha (I was going through a phase that continued for six years) when I started telling people that I am not an actor, I don't act. I am a writer. I don't want to act. Because I didn't like what they were offering."
Shukla added that he would sit in his study room and wished his life would change. "Main saara din betha rehta tha computer pe (I would spend hours on my computer screen)."
Shukla expressed that he and his co-stars including Manoj Bajpayee received overnight fame after the release of Ram Gopal Varma's directorial. The celebrated actor described it as an "illusion of stardom".
Stressing on Ram Gopal Verma's helmer, Shukla said, "Satya jaisi film roz nahin banti. Aur Satya film mein mere character jaisa aapko har baar mile aisa nahin ho sakta (Films like Satya aren't made everyday. You don't even find characters like Kallu Mama quite often).
The Jolly LLB actor recalled how he initially expected a rise in his remuneration after "proving" his craft in Satya. "Paise utne nahin milte jitna aapko dimaag mein lagne lagta hai 'maine apne aapko prove kardia, ab mere paise badh jaane chahiye'... (You don't get that amount which you think in your mind that now that I have proved myself, my fee should increase)."
Watch the full interview here:
Satya is often regarded as a cult film among cinephiles. It starred South actor JD Chakravarthy in the titular role. Urmila Matondkar played his wife, Vidya. Manoj Bajpayee was cast as Bhiku Mhatre. Shefali Shah played Bajpayee's on-screen wife, Pyari Mhatre in the film. The 1998 movie also featured Paresh Rawal, Govind Namdeo, Makrand Deshpande, Aditya Shrivastava, Neeraj Vora, Sanjay Mishra and others.
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap co-wrote the script of Ram Gopal Varma's directorial with Saurabh Shukla. Satya was RGV's first film from his Gangster Trilogy.
The story revolves around Satya, an immigrant who comes to Bombay in search of a job. However, destiny makes him meet Manoj Bajpayee's character Bhiku Mhatre and Satya gets involved in the Mumbai underworld. Saurabh Shukla as Kallu Mama is shown as a part of his gang in the 1998 crime film.
Apart from Satya, Saurabh Shukla has also worked in movies like Zakhm, Taal, Arjun Pandit, Mohabbatein, Nayak: The Real Hero, Yuva, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute to Love, Aarakshan, and many more.
Saurabh Shukla is a versatile actor who has experimented with several kinds of characters in Hindi cinema. His hilarious role as a judge, Justice Sunderlal Tripathi in the 2013 film Jolly LLB is cherished till date.