The quest for good work continues

While most actors opt for a formal training before entering the industry, he discovered his talent not in a formal institute but while interning with a well known theatre company.

One of the most versatile yet underrated actors, Raghubir Yadav left his home in Jabalpur at the age of 15 to join the Parsi Theatre Company. “The folk performances at my village during Ramlila attracted me and I knew that I had some connect with music. I 
therefore ran away even while strategies to employ me in a factory were in progress,” says the artiste who has displayed and impressed the audience with his acting and singing skills time and again.

A product of National School of Drama, Raghubir enrolled in the institute much later. “I still remember I used to earn Rs 2.50 as a singer with the Parsi Theatre Company. But I always had the craving to move ahead in life and learn more, so I shifted to Lucknow to join a puppet theatre. There I got to know about NSD and took admission. I used to get Rs 250 as scholarship, which was sufficient for me,” he reminisces about his days at the Mecca of acting.

While music was his first love, it didn’t take him much time to realise the benefits of being an actor who “should know everything from painting to singing. I started living the life of an actor and realised what a wonderful profession it is. But I never decided a destination for myself. Maine hamesha rasta banaya, kabhi manzil nahi chuni.” Probably his stars did the rest for him and his popularity grew with portrayal of characters in TV soaps – Mungerilal Ke Haseen Sapne and Chacha Chaudhary.

In films, he continued to take challenging roles after his debut in Massey Sahib. “Ittefaq se mujhe international award bhi mila,” he says humbly, overruling all thoughts of getting more appreciation. “I have never bothered to pay attention to the awards. What I keep in mind is to make my work better. Though I have played a lot of characters in theatre, still I cannot be satisfied because theatre is a like a deep sea which can never be
fathomed completely.”

He is happy to have got a chance to live different lives though his acting and is excited about his upcoming film Club 60 directed by Sanjay Tripathy, “The film is about the spirit of life. It talks about celebrating life and that one should never stop living it even after something goes wrong.” His character in the film appears outlandish with coloured hair, trimmed French beard and colourful T-shirts adding to his crazy behaviour and flamboyant style.

One thinks that his character choices would have left him content, but Raghubir feels otherwise. “When I heard my school bell ring at 7 am and I was made to get ready to attend school, I realised that this struggle will never get over. But I also taught myself to not to get satisfied easily. I have done a lot of films but even after reaching this age in my life, I search for work that would satisfy me. Films that are being made since 80s, are too commercialised. They should have some substance,” he opines, adding that the trend of commercially-driven cinema will soon change. “It will have to change and will get inspired by world cinema ultimately. Zyada dino tak yeh masale-bazi nahin chalegi. It is in this hope that I keep waiting for good work.”