(From top)Anupam Kher; Balraj Sahni; Rajpal Yadav with Rituparna Sengupta

Chandan Arora’s Main Meri Patni Aur Woh isn’t the first film to have ‘dared’ to sign an unconventional ‘character’ actor in the lead. Many years ago M.S. Sathyu had cast another ‘character’ actor, Balraj Sahni, in one of the most memorable leads ever in Garam Hawa. Many aficionados including Shabana Azmi rate it as the single-most accomplished performance by a male actor.

From the time Kamal Amrohi cast the unconventional Nasir Khan (Dilip Kumar’s brother) as Meena Kumari’s romantic interest in the dark and melancholic Daera, conventional heroes have been sporadically sidelined for the character actors to take over the leading man’s slot.

In Mahesh Bhatt’s Arth the role of the principal male lead was played by Kulbhushan Kharbanda, one of our finest character actors in his only lead role and performance. Braveheart Rajkumar Santoshi cast a cluster of ageing character actors, from Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri to Viju Khote and Amrish Puri in the lead in ChinaGate. Though the film failed it stands out for its outstanding use of peripheral talent as the pivot.

Dependable character actors have always cribbed about principal parts going to the less deserving. Says Om Puri, “Whether it’s Naseer, Kulbhushan or me, we’re constantly being used like aloo to liven up a bland dish. How many times have I stood before male leads who are far less talented than me, cringing in frustration?”

“Bahut bura lagta hai,” agrees Anupam Kher who got a chance to play the lead in Mahesh Bhatt’s sublime Saaransh and was soon after slotted as character actor for all time until Jahnu Baruah’s Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara where he again got to shine in a rare role written for a character actor in the central role. Now he’s all set to play Iago in a screen version of Othello that he’s producing. Last year Anupam failed as the main lead in Shukriya.

The latest in line is Rajpal Yadav who was first seen as the principal lead in Chandan Arora’s Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon. Now the same director has cast him as the romantic lead in Main Meri Patni Aur Woh opposite Bengali glamorous actress Rituparna Sengupta. Reminds us of good old Mehmood who had to produce his own films or get good friends to do the needful in order to fulfil his own heroic ambitions in Mastana, Kunwara Baap and Ginny Aur Johnny.

Paresh Rawal is another character actor itching to take centrestage. Two years ago he played the lead in Kehta Hai Dil Baar Baar, but backtracked when it backfired. He’s now back to playing the strong supportive part in films like Hera Pheri, Hulchul, Hungama and now Garam Masala which are virtually his films.

Will Rajpal Yadav make that transition from aloo to biryani? He’s being offered leads galore. He recently said ‘no’ to the role of Dick in Deepak Tijori’s Tom Dick & Harry. “But I’ve no illusions about my looks and position. I’ve no interest in running around trees. Why should I when I can entertain people in other more innovative ways?”

BOMAN IRANI ON CHARACTER ACTORS BEING CONSIDERED PERIPHERAL PEOPLE:

• I disagree with that. What were Motilal and Balraj Sahni if not character actors? Later on there was Anupam Kher in Saaransh. Did they even ever want to be matinee idols? I certainly don’t. At my age it’s not possible. If there are people out there who feel I’m a star, let me know. I’m basically shy of attention. I like the adoration but I can’t handle it. When Munna Bhai MBBS was released I wondered how popular the character was going to be since he was a smirky, pompous pain in the backside. Even the guy I played in Waqt was a pain. But kids loved it! That’s the magic of cinema... No one knows what works.

ON HIS STINT IN HINDI FILMS:

• So far so good. I’m the luckiest guy on the planet. I do get a little agitated about the way things are conducted on the sets sometimes. I want to play roles that aren't tailormade. I'm working on a number of projects which are making me sweat it out. For example, in Khosla Ka Ghosla I play a Punjabi real-estate agent. I don’t only look out for chunky roles. In Page 3 I was hardly there. It was a nice quiet performance. I’d hate to do routine roles. I’m so happy and proud that I can do Munna Bhai and Let’s Talk , as also My Wife’s Murder and Being Cyrus?all at once. I’m happy I can straddle all these worlds. I’m glad I escaped from the comic trap after Munna Bhai. Lakshya and Veer-Zaara made audiences realise I wasn’t around just for laughs. I didn’t want people to expect me to crack a joke and make funny faces each time I come on. I can’t believe it all started with Let’sTalk. My thanks to Vidhu Vinod Chopra for his faith in me.