What keeps Ashish Vidyarthi occupied apart from a spate of Bollywood and regional films? The actor, who has portrayed versatile roles in films and acted in more than 75 plays, keeps himself busy with the monologue play Dayashankar ki Diary, written by Nadira Zaheer Babbar. The play is about the overpowering struggle of a small town man who wishes to be an actor.
“Theatre is known as a beautiful form of art where an actor expresses his emotions and feelings without any re-takes. The play is running successfully over 10 years now and has received rave reviews from the audience. The story is very personal, as I can identify with the character. People from across cultures can also relate to the narrative,” feels Ashish.
When asked what he prefers movies or theatre, Ashish says: “I have been doing plays for years. It’s equally interesting and challenging to work on stage as much as movies. So can’t choose between them. And if you are passionate about something, you can take time out from your busy schedule.”
Always hungry for different roles, Ashish loves to evolve as an actor and so for him language does not matter when it comes to good cinema. “My work cuts across cultures and allows me to be associated with different kinds of projects. I am not bound by regional boundaries. If you love your work, you will try out different kinds of roles with perseverance in order to sustain in the industry. Each film and each role is a challenge. I always look for innovative casting and that’s why I seek directors, whether in Bollywood or regional films, who are keen to make something different.”
Mainly seen in grey shades, the actor says that he never consciously thought of doing such roles, but they came in his way. “It was not that I decided to do villainous roles, but they just happened to me. If I see the character is powerful and can create an impact, I take it up. So once I acted in a negative role and it was a hit, directors kept coming to me to cast me in similar roles. It is same for heroes, too. If the negative role becomes popular and the audience likes your performance, directors want to use the tried and tested formula. So I also got one hit and after that a string of similar roles followed. But I am always eager to break my image and keep telling directors to cast me in roles that are out-of-the-box so that I can surprise the audience.
Asked if he has become choosy about roles now, he says: “I take up only those projects that have a good story. In Bengali, I am doing this very interesting film called Teenkahon which is mystery-drama directed by Bauddhayan Mukherji. The director and actors in the movie are fantastic. I have done films ranging between Rs 1 crore and Rs 50 crore, so for an actor what matters is a well-written role, that’s all.”
About his two very promising Bollywood films Rahasya and Haider, Ashish is very excited. “Haidar is an adaptation of Hamlet and Vishal Bhardwaj is doing a great job. I have a special role in the film, but I am not going to say much about it at the moment. The film is set in Jammu and Kashmir. The other film Rahasya is a murder mystery and has a gripping plot.”
On alleged rumours of Rahasya being based on the Arushi murder case, he refutes, saying: “No, it not based on the Arushi murder case. The only common thing is that in the film the father is accused of his daughter’s murder. Otherwise the story is very different. I am playing the role of the father and I am looking forward to its release soon.”
