The Hindi experience
Delhi Ganesh with Sanjay Dutt on the sets of "Dhus".
"I DON'T know whether I'll be called to play a role in the Kamal film, `Vasool Raja MBBS,' but I've just returned from Mumbai after shooting with Munnabhai MBBS," laughs Delhi Ganesh. The experienced actor is doing the role of a politician from the South, a Cabinet Minister to be exact, in the Sanjay Dutt film, "Dhus," being directed by Anubhav Sinha. Besides Sanjay Dutt, the impressive cast includes Sunil Shetty, Abhishek Bachchan, Zayed Khan, Shilpa Shetty and Esha Deol.
Just as in the case of the ad film that Delhi Ganesh did with cricketer Virendra Sehwag, the sudden call from Mumbai asking him to come over for a role in a Hindi film was a pleasant surprise. And just as he had done then Ganesh asked the caller, "Why me?" The reply from the other end was a crisp, "We saw you in the Reliance mobile ad with Sehwag."
"They say that you go to Mumbai once and Goddess Mahalakshmi makes you visit her often. It seems to be coming true ... " says Ganesh who did not fail to visit the temple this time too. "Dhus" is a multi-crore project. The director felt an actor from the South would lend authenticity to the role — and Ganesh was a natural choice. "I want a Tamil man speaking Hindi. So you just deliver the dialogue in your style. That way it would sound genuine," director Anubhav later told him on the sets. He could have had any Mumbai actor to play the part but it wouldn't have been natural. Delhi Ganesh is rather irked by the way the people from the South have been shown in Hindi films down the years. "Such clownish caricatures date back to the times of Mehmood's comedy. Anyone this side of Mumbai, be it from Karnataka, Andhra or Tamil Nadu is a `Madrasi' to them. But the respect with which they treated me when I went there is commendable." Ganesh's second work experience in Mumbai has also turned out to be pleasurable. "It isn't a very big role. But the payment, treatment and the working atmosphere made it worthwhile," says Ganesh. The politician he portrays is a negative character — one who has terrorist links.
Being a person who does his homework meticulously, Ganesh asked the unit to fax his dialogue to him beforehand. "I wanted to know whether I would have lengthy dialogue. A little Hindi I can manage but beyond that ... I wanted to be prepared." Delhi Ganesh has three important scenes in "Dhus" where he will be heard speaking Tamil, English and Hindi.
On the day of shooting, Delhi Ganesh arrived on the sets well in time. He was introduced to Sanjay Dutt, and the popular hero also referred to the Sehwag ad. Ganesh is all admiration for Dutt. "He has no airs at all. Initially, I was a little apprehensive but Sanjay made me feel comfortable. When I told him that compared to the worldwide recognition that stars up North get, actors like me who may have done several films are little known, he very modestly said `It's not like that ... North or South an artiste is an artiste.'" The final feather on Delhi Ganesh's cap was when director Anubhav told him that he loves to work with actors from the South because they are very professional. "They like our punctuality, sincerity and hard work," he smiles.
MALATHI RANGARAJAN
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