He
has
played
a
gamut
of
roles
from
the
villain
in
Dacait,
the
comedian
in
Hera
Pheri
to
the
dadaji
in
Hero
No
1.
But
after
being
appreciated
in
several
super-hit
films
like
Aankhen,
Aawara
Pagal
Deewana,
Hungama
and
Hulchul,
in
which
he
has
played
the
comedian
with
elan,
the
versatile
actor
seems
to
have
found
his
calling
in
comedy.
With
the
forthcoming
UTV
film,
Chup
Chup
Ke,
another
Priyadarshan
laugh
riot
ready
for
release
on
June
9,
IndiaFM
met
the
much-in-demand
actor,
Paresh
Rawal,
for
a
tete-a-tete...
Today
you
are
best
known
as
a
comedian.
How
comfortable
are
you
with
the
label?
Frankly,
I
consider
myself
an
actor,
and
don't
like
being
branded
as
Paresh
Rawal
the
comedian
or
Paresh
Rawal
the
villain.
If
I
am
doing
so
many
light
roles,
it
is
only
because
they
are
all
interesting.
And
as
an
actor
I
am
comfortable
as
long
as
the
role
is
interesting...
whether
it
is
comic,
villainous
or
romantic!
And
how
interesting
is
your
part
in
Chup
Chup
Ke?
Well,
I
play
a
fisherman
who
together
with
another
fisherman
(played
by
Rajpal
Yadav)
tries
and
helps
this
boy
(played
by
Shahid
Kapur)
who
is
always
getting
into
trouble.
In
the
process
of
sorting
things
out
for
him,
there
is
a
lot
of
confusion
and
madness.
What
I
like
is
that
our
roles,
as
fishermen
are
not
caricatures,
they
are
realistic
and
believable!
You
have
worked
with
the
noted
Priyadarshan
in
several
films
before
your
next
release,
Chup
Chup
Ke.
What
is
his
most
outstanding
quality
as
a
director?
Priyadarshan
uses
his
camera
without
his
actors
knowing
it,
and
that
is
his
most
outstanding
quality!
Also
there
is
clarity
in
his
mind
about
what
he
wants
from
his
artistes,
which
makes
our
work
so
much
easier...
You
mentioned
that
you
only
do
roles
that
are
interesting.
What
else
do
you
consider
before
signing
a
film?
Besides
a
well-written
role,
I
also
take
into
consideration
the
director
and
then
of
course
the
money!
If
I
have
any
doubts
about
the
former
two
then
the
money
should
tempt
me.
Fortunately
Chup
Chup
Ke
meets
all
three
requirements!
Do
you
still
harbour
a
passion
for
theatre?
When
I
joined
professional
theatre
in
'73
I
had
no
intention
of
joining
films.
I
was
very
happy
doing
plays.
As
Naseeruddin
Shah
once
said,
"In
theatre
like-minded
people
come
together
to
create
something." The
comfort
level
is
high
as
after
a
show
all
the
artistes
get
together
and
share
coffee
and
ideas,
while
after
a
film
shoot
everyone
goes
home!
Then
I
saw
Naseeruddin
Shah,
Om
Puri
and
Amitabh
Bachchan
in
films,
and
I
wanted
to
be
with
them,
and
worked
towards
that.
I
still
call
myself
a
theatre
person
but
I
don't
have
the
passion
and
honesty
like
Naseer
and
Om
Puri
have.
I
guess
the
money
offered
in
films
inspired
me
to
stick
to
them!
Which
has
been
your
most
memorable
role
till
date?
My
role
in
Sardar!
What
an
awesome
personality!
As
an
actor,
it
was
the
biggest
challenge
of
my
career,
and
though
I
was
not
satisfied,
I
am
very
proud
of
my
performance.
The
film
is
also
memorable
because
I
learnt
a
bit
of
history,
became
more
aware
as
a
citizen
and
understood
the
unity
of
India,
and
Sardar's
contribution
to
it.
What
would
be
your
message
to
your
overseas
fans?
Keep
watching
Hindi
films
regardless
of
which
country
you
live
in...and
always
continue
to
love
your
country!
How
would
you
like
to
be
remembered?
I
want
to
be
remembered
as
an
actor's
actor.
That
is
how
audiences
will
remember
Naseeruddin
Shah,
Om
Puri,
and
to
an
extent,
Amitabh
Bachchan.
An
actor
survives
but
stars
don't.
Stardom
is
time-bound...it
comes
with
an
expiry
date.