Veteran actor Puneet Issar, who gained immense popularity for his role as Duryodhan in the TV show Mahabharat (1988–1990), speaks to Guardian 20 about the recent premiere of his theatrical production, Mahabharat, in Delhi. Issar, who specialises in playing negative characters, also talks about the evolution of the villain in Hindi cinema, from a stereotypical dark character to a complex, Iago-like human being.
Q. Your role as Duryodhan on TV became extremely popular. Now, you are part of a new stage adaptation of the epic, as a director, writer and actor. How helpful or unhelpful was your past experience, of playing Duryodhan on TV, in your new project?
A. My past experience was helpful in the sense that it is a big advantage to be playing Duryodhan again, because I’m already in the skin of the character, having lived as Duryodhan for 2-3 years for the TV show. I have done my research for the role extensively. But the past experience isn’t much of a help when people start to expect a lot, because they have seen me perform my best on TV and that was 30 years ago. But now I have to look 30 years younger and fitter.
Q. Since your play Mahabharat presents the epic from the points of view of Duryodhan and Karan, were there any challenges for when you were rewriting the story, since these characters aren’t regarded as quintessential hero figures?
A. I definitely agree that Karan and Duryodhan aren’t quintessential heroes. Rather, they represent the anti-heroes in the story… But as people say, “You always hear the hunter’s story, till the lion doesn’t learn to write.” So Karan and Duryodhan were people who were placed in a situation and they fought for their rights from their points of view.
Q. What was it like creating the theatrical production? And how different was it from your experience of directing movies?
A. Making a theatrical is very different from making a movie because there are no retakes in theatre. A lot of active coordination is required, from getting everyone to rehearse and handling the whole production to taking care of small nuances. All this has to be taken care of at once, as everything is taking place live and everything is one shot, one play.
Q. The play features some renowned actors, including Meghna Malik and Urvashi Dholakia among others. What was the casting process for this project like?
A. The casting process had to be thought through. Just because I’m playing Duryodhan and Rahul [Bhuchar] is playing Karan, I didn’t want the rest of the star cast to be weak. We wanted our Draupadi to be very empowering… We wanted the character of Dharti Mata to be strong, and we’ve got Bheem who is 6’6” tall. So we’ve tried to cast as per our best capabilities.
Q. You have been a part of so many acting projects, your work profile is massive. But what do you think has been the turning point in your career?
A. It is the role of Duryodhan that I had portrayed in the TV series that changed everything in my career. It really cemented my place in the industry.
Q. You have starred as a villain in hundreds of movies. Was it a carefully thought out decision or did it just happen? Do you think you were being typecast at some point in your career?
A. I was a villain in Coolie [1983] and after that I got typecast as a villain because I had hit the biggest superstar [Amitabh Bachchan] by mistake in an accident. When I had entered the industry, the people who were tall and had a large physique were categorised as being villains. And it happened quite late when rugged-looking actors were also being cast as heroes.
Q. From the time you had started in the film industry to now, how do you think the concept of the villain has evolved?
A. The concept of the villain has definitely evolved. Even in our play, Duryodhan has shades of grey, Karan as well… They are not just good or evil but they are somewhere in between. Similarly, the film industry has changed in this regard, too. You don’t have outright villains these days. Their characters don’t just portray their dark side…
Q. What gives you more joy, acting or directing?
A. Both give me enormous joy as I’m a creative person, and both acting and directing are creative outlets. But directing is more difficult as one has to take care of all the aspects.
Q. You have worked with the biggest superstars, right from Amitabh Bachchan to Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and many others. Who has been the most enjoyable to work with and why?
A. As a friend, it has to be Salman because we have a great bond; and as a co-actor it’s Shah Rukh Khan. We have worked together in Ram Jaane [1995] and he is one of the most hardworking co-actors I’ve worked with. Also, I have always idolised and looked up to Mr. Bachchan and the bond we share now is great.
Q. You continue to set fitness goals for the young. What is your fitness
mantra?
A. My fitness mantra just evolves with time. Initially, I gained muscle because of what you might call desi routines. Then there was a time when I became a disciple of Bruce Lee and learned martial arts. For the TV show Mahabharat I had to gain weight so I followed Arnold Schwarzenegger’s routine and now finally for the play, I followed cross-fit and weight training to look the part.
Q. What are your future projects?
A. There are three more plays that I’m planning to write and direct… I am also doing a show for Star Plus and a web series as well.