New Delhi, Nearly four decades after his first film, his debut on stage and subsequent appearances on the small screen, veteran actor Raghubir Yadav says "Panchayat" has taken his success to the next level, where People also recognize him as "Pradhan Ji". he goes
Yadav, one of the most prominent faces of the parallel cinema and theater movement, whose career spans decades and mediums, said, "As if what I have done in the past has been forgotten. I am Pradhan ji."
The praise following “Panchayat”, which revolves around the everyday struggles of people in a village in Uttar Pradesh and is currently in its third season, also worries him.The show has reintroduced him to the audience as the lovable and slightly troubled Pradhan ji, who is always on the lookout to improve the lives of the people of his village. “Wherever I go, people call me Pradhan ji. Let's call by saying. Right now, I am shooting in Varanasi and people are wondering what Pradhan ji is doing among us,” he said in a phone interview from Varanasi.
The 66-year-old acknowledges the huge success of the OTT show, but is also wary of making too much of it, as it will impact his performance.
“I will take it only if there are no more seasons left.Right now, I am just worried about the quality of the show. I don't want to be too happy or sad,'' he said. "The characters shown in the series were the same kind of people I grew up with or met during my Parsi theater days. There was a simplicity and spontaneity in life that is still inherent in our villages. This is what the series was without. You have managed to translate it very cleverly,” Yadav said.He grew up in one such village in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh. Ranjhi did not even have any school but he was engrossed in music. He used to sing film songs at local functions and present bhajans in the temple built by his maternal grandfather. And thus he started dreaming of a career in music.
“Sometimes your desires pave the way for you.I joined a Parsi theater company run by (actor) Annu Kapoor's father and worked there for six years. I used to get Rs 2.50 a day and I count this as my best days. I would often go hungry but this taught me a lot, it's not fun if there isn't a little pain," he said. From Parsi theater in Madhya Pradesh, Yadav went on to study at the National School of Drama, Delhi, where he remained as part of the repertory company for 13 years, honing his talent as an actor and singer.
He said, “Since childhood, I am not very happy or sad about things.What people call struggle, I believe is just motivation to work harder."Recalling his student years at NSD, where "Panchayat" co-star Neena Gupta was his junior, Yadav recalled That the then director of the drama school, Ibrahim Alkazi, had asked him to choose his specialization and he had responded by saying that he wanted to learn everything.
"And that's how I got into Stagecraft. All the students warned me that you have to work very hard but I went ahead with it. It's helped me a lot in acting.I never need any signs or marks. I know where to stand while performing, when to stop and what distance there should be between co-actors.
He said, "I have a small workshop at home and when I'm not doing anything, I make small things like flutes. I sometimes pick up a broom and clean the house or work in the kitchen." I go. I find it therapeutic.Gupta, who plays his on-screen wife Manju Devi in "Panchayat", recently posted a photo of his youth which was widely circulated. Yadav said it feels surreal that his life has changed so much for him. Has led to this moment.
"We did many dramas together and while working on the show we realized that we have come such a long distance and are still like family to each other. When we are working on the show we are like Let's behave. This is a picture of when she was in NSD and I was in repertory.That picture made us realize our journey, that experience is now visible on our faces."
The Mumbai-based actor, who first rose to fame with "Massey Saheb" and Doordarshan's serial "Mungeri Lal Ke Haseen Sapne", said acting is a continuous process of learning. "The field of art and culture is like an ocean. You never have Might not even be enough. If I'm honest, I think a lifetime is too short for that.There is plenty to do for everyone. I think I should learn the best I can and maybe I can excel in my next life because one life is not enough," he said.
From playing the daydreaming hero Mungerilal in "Mungerilal..." to playing Pradhanji in "Panchayat", it has been an interesting journey. The film started with Pradeep Krishna's "Massey Sahab".And it's been quality over quantity ever since.
Yadav has also acted in acclaimed films such as "Salaam Bombay!", "Sooraj Ka Satvan Ghoda", "Dharavi", "Maya Memsaab", "Bandit Queen" and "Saaz". Then came commercial performances, including "Dil Se..", "Lagaan", "Delhi 6", "Peepli Live" or "Piku", "Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar" and the latest "Kathal". has been influential, be it "Mungerilal Ke Haseen Sapne" or the beloved comic book adaptation Chacha Chaudhary. This is not counting his theater years and the musical work he did over the years.
Not all film roles were to his liking.In other types of work, you are playing the same character with different costumes over a period of time,” he said. Yadav was always invested in theatre, but the pandemic changed things for a while. Now that the situation has become normal, he has planned not one but three stage shows in Delhi.
He is bringing back "Piano", which is the Hindi adaptation of the Hungarian play written by Ferenc Carinthi, and followed it with "Sanam Doob Gaye". He is also adapting Hindi literature great Phanishwar Nath Renu's famous story "Mare Gaye Gulfam" as a play.He said, "It is Renuji's story. I have also given music to it. Because I am from Parsi theatre, I have brought those elements in it. I have adapted it in my own way."
Yadav, one of the most prominent faces of the parallel cinema and theater movement, whose career spans decades and mediums, said, "As if what I have done in the past has been forgotten. I am Pradhan ji."
The praise following “Panchayat”, which revolves around the everyday struggles of people in a village in Uttar Pradesh and is currently in its third season, also worries him.The show has reintroduced him to the audience as the lovable and slightly troubled Pradhan ji, who is always on the lookout to improve the lives of the people of his village. “Wherever I go, people call me Pradhan ji. Let's call by saying. Right now, I am shooting in Varanasi and people are wondering what Pradhan ji is doing among us,” he said in a phone interview from Varanasi.
The 66-year-old acknowledges the huge success of the OTT show, but is also wary of making too much of it, as it will impact his performance.
“I will take it only if there are no more seasons left.Right now, I am just worried about the quality of the show. I don't want to be too happy or sad,'' he said. "The characters shown in the series were the same kind of people I grew up with or met during my Parsi theater days. There was a simplicity and spontaneity in life that is still inherent in our villages. This is what the series was without. You have managed to translate it very cleverly,” Yadav said.He grew up in one such village in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh. Ranjhi did not even have any school but he was engrossed in music. He used to sing film songs at local functions and present bhajans in the temple built by his maternal grandfather. And thus he started dreaming of a career in music.
“Sometimes your desires pave the way for you.I joined a Parsi theater company run by (actor) Annu Kapoor's father and worked there for six years. I used to get Rs 2.50 a day and I count this as my best days. I would often go hungry but this taught me a lot, it's not fun if there isn't a little pain," he said. From Parsi theater in Madhya Pradesh, Yadav went on to study at the National School of Drama, Delhi, where he remained as part of the repertory company for 13 years, honing his talent as an actor and singer.
He said, “Since childhood, I am not very happy or sad about things.What people call struggle, I believe is just motivation to work harder."Recalling his student years at NSD, where "Panchayat" co-star Neena Gupta was his junior, Yadav recalled That the then director of the drama school, Ibrahim Alkazi, had asked him to choose his specialization and he had responded by saying that he wanted to learn everything.
"And that's how I got into Stagecraft. All the students warned me that you have to work very hard but I went ahead with it. It's helped me a lot in acting.I never need any signs or marks. I know where to stand while performing, when to stop and what distance there should be between co-actors.
He said, "I have a small workshop at home and when I'm not doing anything, I make small things like flutes. I sometimes pick up a broom and clean the house or work in the kitchen." I go. I find it therapeutic.Gupta, who plays his on-screen wife Manju Devi in "Panchayat", recently posted a photo of his youth which was widely circulated. Yadav said it feels surreal that his life has changed so much for him. Has led to this moment.
"We did many dramas together and while working on the show we realized that we have come such a long distance and are still like family to each other. When we are working on the show we are like Let's behave. This is a picture of when she was in NSD and I was in repertory.That picture made us realize our journey, that experience is now visible on our faces."
The Mumbai-based actor, who first rose to fame with "Massey Saheb" and Doordarshan's serial "Mungeri Lal Ke Haseen Sapne", said acting is a continuous process of learning. "The field of art and culture is like an ocean. You never have Might not even be enough. If I'm honest, I think a lifetime is too short for that.There is plenty to do for everyone. I think I should learn the best I can and maybe I can excel in my next life because one life is not enough," he said.
From playing the daydreaming hero Mungerilal in "Mungerilal..." to playing Pradhanji in "Panchayat", it has been an interesting journey. The film started with Pradeep Krishna's "Massey Sahab".And it's been quality over quantity ever since.
Yadav has also acted in acclaimed films such as "Salaam Bombay!", "Sooraj Ka Satvan Ghoda", "Dharavi", "Maya Memsaab", "Bandit Queen" and "Saaz". Then came commercial performances, including "Dil Se..", "Lagaan", "Delhi 6", "Peepli Live" or "Piku", "Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar" and the latest "Kathal". has been influential, be it "Mungerilal Ke Haseen Sapne" or the beloved comic book adaptation Chacha Chaudhary. This is not counting his theater years and the musical work he did over the years.
Not all film roles were to his liking.In other types of work, you are playing the same character with different costumes over a period of time,” he said. Yadav was always invested in theatre, but the pandemic changed things for a while. Now that the situation has become normal, he has planned not one but three stage shows in Delhi.
He is bringing back "Piano", which is the Hindi adaptation of the Hungarian play written by Ferenc Carinthi, and followed it with "Sanam Doob Gaye". He is also adapting Hindi literature great Phanishwar Nath Renu's famous story "Mare Gaye Gulfam" as a play.He said, "It is Renuji's story. I have also given music to it. Because I am from Parsi theatre, I have brought those elements in it. I have adapted it in my own way."