The Minister has his say

Be it cinema, stage or the small screen, Farooq Shaikh has been selective about his roles. This astute actor is now making waves as the Minister in ``Ji Mantriji," the serial on STAR Plus. Chatting with him is a pleasurable experience as V. GANGADHAR finds out.

BARRING PUTTING up a ``Do Not Disturb'' sign on the door, we do everything possible to discourage visitors on Sunday evenings. That is because of the Minister's visit to our drawing room. The Minister in question is Surya Prakashji of ``Ji Mantriji'' fame, a TV serial based on the famous ``Yes Minister'' episodes. BBC's ``Yes Minister''and ``Yes, Prime Minister'' have all along been my favourites in political satire. ``Ji Mantriji'' produced by NDTV and telecast on the Star Plus channel retains much of the flavour of the original. It is full of topical, often biting tongue-in-cheek comments on politics and politicians.

Comedy in India is often crass and loud, but not ``Ji Mantriji". Farooq Shaikh who plays the lead role in the serial, has been one of my favourite actors from the time he made his debut in that memorable film, ``Garam Hawa". That was during the early 1970s and since then Farooq has travelled a long way, tackling sensitive roles in films, on stage and in TV serials. During a recent two-hour long chat, we discussed his concept of acting and record in show business. Articulate and well-informed, Farooq came through with flying colours.

Let us start with ``Ji Mantriji". How did the project take shape?

I think BBC, which was keen to do the serial in Hindi, contacted NDTV which recommended me for the role of the Minister. I found the script satisfactory and the other details were finalised. Of course, I was a great admirer of ``Yes, Minister"and its sequel.

Were any conditions imposed?

The BBC insisted that the script should be as close as possible to the English original. Of course, the political situations had to be `Indianised' a bit, without the original flavour being lost.

No ad libbing was permitted, but occasionally, I managed to get away with some lines of my own, which suited the situation. The production values were high class and everything was very professional. One slip in the dialogue delivery and we had to do the scene entirely. Indians are seldom exposed to political satire and sophisticated comedy.

Were you surprised at the popularity of the serial?

Not really. I think the viewers appreciated the subtlety of the humour and identified themselves with the situations and people in the serial. I think,``Ji Mantriji'' has opened up new vistas for political satire.

Much of the success of the original serial is due to the play on words. I mean the Sir Humphrey Appleby character. This was not so effective in ``Ji Mantriji", particularly with the Mathur character.

You have a point. But then English and Hindi are different languages. The impact of the word play could have been more effective if we had been allowed a little more liberty with the script. I mean, if the dialogue had been Indianised a bit more. But that was not possible.

Did the character of Surya Prakashji grow with ``Ji Mantriji'' and its sequel?

I think so. You see, the vulnerability of the minister is the core of the comedy. He is a victim of circumstances but has a strong survival instinct. And sometimes, is able to put one over his all-knowing Mathur saab and other bureaucrats.

"Ji Mantriji'' is one of your rare TV serials...

Not really, during the 1970s I did a lot of youth programmes for Doordarshan and also starred in the popular serial, ``Srikant". Then commercial TV came along, offering more opportunities. But I have always been selective in whatever I do.

Your choice of films reflected it. Didn't it? Were you trained as an actor?

While in St.Xavier's College, I was active on the Hindi stage. I also did all kinds of work for Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) and figured in some of its hit plays such as "Doosri Aadmi". M.S.Sathyu, also of IPTA, was making ``Garam Hawa''and roped in quite a few IPTA actors. Only Balraj Sahni was paid a decent amount for his role in the film. For the rest, it was a labour of love. But it was a great experience.

Weren't you lucky to have worked with some of the most sensitive movie directors?

You can say that again. Satyajit Ray cast me in his "Shatranj ki Khiladi''and I got to work with Muzzaffar Ali in his "Gaman". ``Noorie'' was a big box office hit and I made an impression in good, clean, sophisticated comedies like``Rang Bhirangi", "Chashme Badhur''and ``Katha", made by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Sai Paranjpe. Films like ``Umrao Jaan''and ``Bazar'' also were critically acclaimed.

What about money?

Well, most of these comedies celebrated silver jubilees but I was never in films for money. Good roles on the stage came along, like "Tumhari Amrita", where it was a pleasure to co-star with Shabana Azmi. I enjoyed acting but chose only roles which offered some scope.

Is acting on stage more challenging that emoting before the camera?

I think so. A stage actor has no props, except his voice and talent. Facing a live audience can be quite unnerving. Theatre needs a lot more preparation and discipline. You cannot afford to bring your star tantrums. If a film actor is prepared to accept the discipline that is needed on the stage, he can be equally successful.

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