The Hindu : New Delhi News : A father figure

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Monday, Apr 28, 2008
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New Delhi

New Delhi

A father figure

Madhur Tankha

On both big and small screens

Honest spirit: Veteran actor Alok Nath.

New Delhi: The adorable character of Master Haveli Ram in Ramesh Sippy’s epoch-making serial “Buniyaad” made him a household name. Now reduced to playing fatherly figure roles on both the big and small screen, veteran actor Alok Nath still looks back fondly at the role that got him going.

“My role of Masterji continues to be my favourite one on the small screen. It gave me an opportunity to understand what shooting was all about. Actually the shooting of all episodes was quite similar in approach and design to the way films in Bollywood are made.”

Channel

Reminiscing about Doordarshan’s golden period when “Buniyaad” was watched by almost everyone who owned a television set, Alok says, “Those days there used to be ‘Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan’ in which Tabassum interviewed leading film stars.

Since viewers had just one channel to watch, they looked forward to programmes like “Chitrahaar” that featured Hindi film songs and even “Krishi Darshan” that dealt with farmers’ issues. “But it was “Buniyaad” and “Hum Log” that got the viewers hooked on to daily soap operas.” Alok Nath, who has excelled in films like “Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak”, “Vivah” and also acted in Richard Attenborough’s internationally acclaimed “Gandhi”, says he studies people, their mannerisms and the way they articulate their thoughts and this has helped him to get into the skin of various characters he portrays on screen.

“I started acting when I was a child. Over the years, I have realised that in order to touch the heart of the audience one must look honest.

“Perhaps that is why most of the roles offered to me are of honest characters. Just by looking at your face, viewers can make out if you are a pretentious person.” Alok Nath says, “As an artiste you have to do larger-than-life roles. The reality of Hindi cinema is that films like Aamir Khan’s ‘Taare Zameen Par’ and “Rang De Basanti’ are for the popcorn-munching multiplex audience and not for our rural areas where people don’t understand issues dealt in these films. Personally, I have enjoyed watching both these films.”

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