'Raavan's character intrigued me'

After last performing on stage over three decades ago, actor Puneet Issar is all set to make a comeback in theatre writer and director Atul Satya Koushik’s Raavan Ki Ramayan. The play, which is the third historical offering by the director after Chakravyuh and Draupadi, is a relook at the history from the point of view of those who lost and never got a chance to tell their side of story.

Talking about his role as Raavan, Issar who has been a part of films like Coolie, Border, Bunty Aur Babli and Ready, says, “I have done amateur theatre in college, but that was way back in the 70s. After that I got busy with films, other projects, the regular rigmarole and lost connect. Doing theatre is a big challenge, and I thought I could take it up now.”

Adding, the actor who is best known for essaying the role of Duryodhana in the first television adaptation of the Mahabharata, says the primary reason for him to take up the role of Raavan is because he feels he is at the right age. “When I took up Duryodhana’s role, I was in my late 20s. I could not have played Raavan then, even if I would have been offered the role. But now, I feel I am at the right age and can do justice to the character.”

But that is not all, points out the director of Salman Khan-starrer Garv: Pride and Honour, and says he got on board because Raavan is one of the most challenging characters. “He was an obstinate child, an anti-hero and above all, a complex character. But, he was also intelligent and had read all the Vedas. Despite this, he saw his downfall. And imagine, despite keeping Sita captive for so long, he never touched her. All this intrigued me,” adds Issar.

The actor-director says that as an artist, he likes to “reinvent” himself. “Which is why,” he continues, “after doing films for around six years, I did Mahabharata, directed TV series and then a film. It is important that your work inspires you. And after Duryodhana, I had not done a mythological character.”

Issar, who had appeared in the eighth season of reality show Bigg Boss, however agrees that actors get typecast. “This is our misfortune,” he says, adding that after an actor performs a particular character which becomes popular, he or she is offered the same kind of roles, “in my case, negative”. He adds this is why he never took negative roles on television and instead did series like Hindustani and Junoon.

“But I accepted to play Raavan on stage because someone has narrate his story. We need to look at things from his perspective as well to know his side of the story. I hope I will be able to do that and put forth a new perspective in front of the audience,” he tells Metrolife. The play will be staged at Kamani Auditorium on August 6 (7.30 pm) and 7 (4 pm and 7.30 pm).