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Playing mixed doubles, single-handedly

Ranvir Shorey is ready to create a stir with his unconventional role in "Mixed Doubles"

SEARCHING FOR A MARK Ranvir Shorey prefers offbeat cinema to mainstream for meaningful roles Photo: D. Gopalakrishnan

Once, journalist-turned-politician Arun Shourie was quoted in a magazineassaying that a good professional is one who changes his job after every five years, else you start stagnating. Taking a leaf out of his life is another Shorey, with a different spelling and profession though. This 33-year-old veejay from Channel V changed his profession and plunged into acting to save himself from stagnating. Shorey, whom we sawin a considerably big role in Ek Chhoti Si Love Story and in a cameo in Lakshya, is there all over in Mixed Doubles as the husband of the character played by Konkona Sen Sharma. The film, produced by Sunil Doshi and directed by Rajat Kapoor and scheduled to release this month, grants Shorey a role for which he doubts if "he would ever be able to show his face in the street" after playing it.

As Sunil in the film, he is a lovey-dovey husbandand the father of a 10-year-old. As the fire in his life starts extinguishing after a long married life, he asks his wife to swap partners to rekindle it.

So, Shorey who earlier defined his role in Ek Chhoti Si Love Story as having his "baptism by fire" is at it again. But, on second thoughts, he maintains, "It may come as a shock to many. It will ruffle some feathers too. But it is no longer unacceptable to talk about. My role is very reflective of marriage in contemporary times. It would be clichéd to say that it was very challenging. But it was. It was challenging to pull it off in a borderline space where the slightest mistake on my part would have made it sleazy. I have played actually a good-hearted person, notmanipulative. He is a little innocent too and his intentions are good. He wants to make his wife happy also. It is just like the road to hell is paved with good intentions only."

Eyebrows may be raised at the role he is playing, but he declares that it is a conscious decision. "I was tired of playing a veejay and doing comic roles because of my presence in The Great Indian Comedy Show on Star One. That's what mainstream films do to you. They think of you only in stereotypical roles. . I thank my stars that there are now producers and directors who are willing to broach new subjects. Otherwise, actors like me who want to try out different roles, would have been unemployed."

Not stereotypical

For this thinking actor with a theatre background, visibility and money don't matter as much as creative satisfaction. Incidentally, in the past he has done a course from the Atlantic Theatre Company in New York, and a couple of acting workshops in India to "get a feel of acting". "Main to do dhari talwar par chal raha hoon. Ek to veejay tag, then offbeat roles. But I am not among those who breathe money staking their creative energies. I have given up the job of a veejay only for creative satisfaction," he asserts.

For now, you will find his creativity at work in Aye Dil, Khosla Ka Ghosla and Pyar Ke Side Effects (with Mallika Sherawat), releasing this year. And he is also "moonlighting as a director here and there" hoping to make his own film one day.

Good luck!

RANA SIDDIQUI

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