The strong and soft side of Rahul Bose

The strong and soft side of Rahul Bose

MUNISH DHIMAN  22nd Mar 2014

Rahul Bose e's one of the literate, refined and accomplished multifaceted personalities contributing each day for some cause or the other, be it on the social, literal or entertainment front. Actor Rahul Bose needs no introduction; he is a powerhouse of new age cinema and one of those talented actors who have proved their mettle not only in Bollywood but in Hollywood as well. On a short trip to Chandigarh, Bose, an accomplished actor, rugby player, social activist, screenwriter, and a director shares his experiences about all the activities he is associated with. Q. Tell us something about your foreign fancy? A. I believe you heard my speech well, but yes, being an English-speaking south-Mumbai kid, studying in America was the only dream I nurtured but it never happened. I was the scholar of my school but ironically, each university I applied to rejected me. Eventually, I got admission in one of the MBA schools, even if America itself is not aware of whether these schools exist or not. But the condition was to get two years work experience before enrolling for the course. Q. When going abroad was the only nurtured dream, how did acting happen? A. To get admission in that college, I stated working as a copywriter and also did theatre in the evening. I found that this [acting] is what I should be doing. Gradually, the inclination towards acting increased and that's how it happened. Q. Was the silver screen ever in your mind while doing theatre, or did it just happen? A. To be honest, it wasn't a nurtured dream. On the basis of my performance in one of my plays, Dev Benegal offered me the film English, August. It was a tough call, but I did it by taking a two-month sabbatical from advertising. Q. Must have been a proud moment for you. A. The movie ran for 50 days at Regal Cinemas, a 980-seater movie hall that shows movies having at least 60% box office collection. Having more than 650 people per show in one of the most coveted cinemas of its times was indeed a proud moment. Q. Was being famous in the glamour industry your priority? A. No, it wasn't ever a priority. I do what I love to do and what gives me peace. Had I wanted fame and that too in the glamour world, I wouldn't ever have played rugby. That gives you scars, stitches and bruises. Q. Tell us more about your love for rugby? A. Initially, I started playing rugby for vested interests. I had this notion that girls easily get attracted to rugby players as compared to others and it happened! With the passage of time, I started understanding the game. I was an individualist but it taught me the biggest lesson of life: that to achieve a bigger goal, one must learn to work like a team. It taught me some of the deepest and greatest lessons of life, which are no less than sheer poetry. Q. Besides cinema and sports, social activism is also your forte. What inspired you to serve? A. I wasn't ever an activist. But yes, I understood everything. It was during the Mumbai riots in 1992 when my social consciousness was awakened and I started realising the senselessness of the bloodshed. But 2002 was the year when I felt that if I could help reduce the pain of people who survived [the post-Godhra riots], and decided to be socially active and joined the NGO Akshara for a couple of years. During my stint, I visited several places when the tsunami and the Gujarat earthquake happened. Finally in 2007, I founded my own NGO, The Foundation. It works for the eradication of discrimination from all walks of life. Q. What is there on the cards for your fans? A. There's a lot in the pipeline for my fans. Vishwaroopam 2 is there; Zoya Akhtar's next is there. I am also doing a movie called Jeene Do and a Bengali movie as well. And yes, the sequel to Mr & Mrs Iyer is also there. Q. We heard you are also going to direct a flick? A. Yes, I am penning down the script of the movie that I will be directing. The project will start sometime in March next year and the good thing is, I have already got half the funds for it. http://www.sunday-guardian.com/young-restless/the-strong-and-soft-side-of-rahul-bose