Paresh Rawal is gearing up for his next big release, a political biopic titled ‘Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi’. The film, based on the life of Uttar Pradesh Chief MinisterYogi Adityanath and is all set to hit the cinemas on this Friday, September 19. Anant V Joshi takes on the lead role of Yogi Adityanath, and Paresh Rawal plays a crucial character in the story. The film faced many hurdles from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
Rawal says making any film feels tough
Talking about whether political films are especially difficult in today’s times, the ‘OMG’ explained, “It’s tough to make any film….Social media kisi ke bhi upar haawi ho jaata hai, sometimes rightfully, sometimes wrongly (Social media can take over and dominate anyone, sometimes for good reason, sometimes not). But if your neeyat (intentions) and neeti (principles) are good, if your intentions are not wrong, and the film has been made with honesty, then you should not think about people.”The ‘Hera Pheri’ actor further added, “I would never be able to understand what each person wants. I can only make something which I like, you narrow down your choices this way. Yogi ji jaisa character hai toh maamla critical ho jaata hai, CBFC saavdhan rehti hai (If the character is like Yogi-ji, the situation becomes critical; the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) stays cautious).”
Paresh Rawal recalls CBFC objections in court
The biopic has had its fair share of clashes with the CBFC. The ‘Bhagam Bhag’ actor recalled how the situation played out in court, “The Court asked their lawyer ‘have you watched the film or read the book it’s based on? You should have done your homework !’ He had not. Pata nahi kyun, samajh mein nahi aata ki aisa kyun karte hain voh. (I don’t know why, I don’t understand why they do that.)”
Paresh rejects biopic whitewash allegations
Biopics are often accused of being one-sided and hiding the flaws of their subjects. Rawal, however, strongly dismissed such claims about ‘Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi’Rawal explained, “The man is alive right now and still working, he is in the middle of his career. The film’s story is till the point Yogi ji reached politics. It’s his untold story, jo public mein hai usko aap untold nahi bol sakte. (what’s already in the public domain, you can’t call ‘untold’.) There’s nothing to whitewash here.”
Paresh Rawal responds boldly to online trolling
In today’s digital world, social media reactions come instantly, often harsh and unforgiving. Many actors choose to ignore such negativity, but Rawal takes a bold stance.“Main darne wala nahi hoon yaar, trolls ko toh main achhi tarah jawaab bhi dena jaanta hoon. They post something quickly on social media today. Jiski baat koi ghar wale bhi nahi sunte the, unki baat pe agar duniya charcha karti hai toh unhe achha lagta hai, (I’m not going to be afraid, man, I know how to give a good response to trolls. They post something quickly on social media today. People whose families wouldn’t even listen to them, they feel good when the world discusses what they say), ” he added.
Paresh Rawal on the work front
While ‘Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi’ is grabbing attention right now, Paresh Rawal has plenty more coming up. His line-up includes ‘Bhooth Bangla’, ‘Welcome To The Jungle’, and the much-awaited ‘Hera Pheri 3’.
