Mohnish Behl

BUSY AS CAN BE, AT LONG LAST

From a caveman in Teri Baahon Mein to a refined man of virtues in Hum Saath Saath Hain, Mohnish Behl has shifted gears and changed lanes with the same ease with which he drives his fleet of six cars. From a defunct hero to suave villain, from character artiste to mature hero - his screen image has been overhauled several times over by the Barjatyas. The crown prince to Nutan’s illustrious cinematic legacy admits that more than anything else it’s her goodwill that has seen him through. At the threshold of a new phase of his career, Behl confesses his sole aim now is to live upto his mother’s name, and do her proud...

Overlooking the Arabian Sea, 30 flights up - the Behl penthouse makes a serene retreat from the urban humdrum. Tastefully embellished with antiques and crystalware - the spacious living room reflects the style and refinement of its inhabitants.

“That’s my dad’s doing, he’s an avid collector,” calls out Mohnish emerging from within in blue denims topped by a crisp white kurta, a sidelong glance, a dimpling smile - looks as if he’s just stepped out of the frame of Hum Saath Saath Hain. Pranutan, his six-year-old moppet peeps in to update him on dadaji’s health. Behl Sr is indisposed and is to be operated on soon. Mohnish asks Aarti, his lovely wife, to administer the dose of drugs and joins us back for chai and melting Shrewsbury biscuits.

Pranutan brings in her Penguin set and asks dad to put it together. He declines with a courteous “Not now.” But the young lady isn’t taking hints. She wants to be included in the conversation. So she begins by telling us she studies in Standard 1 A, and that she loves her teacher. And how about papa and his movies, we ask her. She smiles shyly and there you catch a glimpse of Nutan. “She does resemble mom a lot, even my nani, Shobhana Samarth, says she’s her little Nutan,” reveals Mohnish. And we carry on chatting:

Has Pranutan seen HSSH?
Oh yes. She chided me, “Papa you made me cry when you left the house and went away!” Her all time fave is the ABCD number and she loves the Yashoda maiyya... dance, too.

With a film and role of that magnitude, what are your expectations from HSSH?
I am very open, really. I have no individual expectations. I couldn’t have asked for better parameters to work with - in a home unit with people responsible for bringing me back into the industry with Maine Pyar Kiya after my first stint as hero didn’t work out, and further sustained me with HAHK, giving me the opportunity to do a positive role thereby opening doors to versatility. I expect the most from the film. I have waited for something like this for 17 years .

I really don’t know which way my career will go, hereafter, since there’s many a slip between the cup and the lip. But what I know for sure is, I have done my best and I don’t think it gets any better as far as opportunity goes. People used to sympathise with me saying I never got the right break. This one will silence them all. Yup, it’s the mother of all breaks.

Post HSSH what kind of roles are you looking for?
I am open to interesting roles, roles that play an intrinsic part in the script. No more bit roles for me. If this film is accepted by the audience, I owe it to myself as an actor and the Rajshris to do quality work.

How would you describe your job profile in your curriculum vitae?
If you’d asked me this question a year ago, my answer would have been an emphatic - character actor. Five years earlier, it was definitely villainy for me. Now I really don’t know. I don’t know what’s in store for me even four weeks down the line. Having played a leading role in HSSH and the second lead in the yet-to-be-released Jaanwar, my career and image are in a flux right now. So, it’s going to be wait and watch. Hopefully my colleagues, producers, audience and the media will accept me in this more important category.

Do you feel like a rookie all over again?
Yes and no. I feel like a newcomer in as much as I have this new image being projected. It’s a launchpad for a possible new image for me. And no, because I’ve been through all this before, at a different level at another phase in my life. I can’t think of another actor who’s had the good fortune to get a break like this at such a late stage in his career. I am much more comfortable in terms of acceptance and rejection because I’ve had to tackle both.

Tell us about Sooraj Barjatya’s special affinity for you?
He is the gentlest human being I have come across. Let alone losing his temper, he doesn’t even raise his voice. He leads a life of utmost honesty and sincerity. Not only do I believe in Soorajji’s style of functioning but also agree with his principles and values. We are on the same wavelength.

Besides the wonderful working relationship I share with the Rajshris, I know for a fact that it all goes back to the relationship Tarachandji and Rajji shared with my mom from the Saudagar days. It’s a kind of legacy.

Can you recount your first meeting with Sooraj?
For that I have to go back in time when I was out of work and Salman was a struggler during Biwi Ho To Aisi days. He told me once he was doing a film for the Rajshris and there was the role of a villain for which I should go and meet them. I was flying with the Bombay Flying Club at the time, with the intention of becoming a commercial pilot. At that desperate juncture it didn’t matter to me if the role on offer was that of a villain. So I spoke to mom about it. I pestered my mom into giving them a call, for with all the failure behind me, I was very unsure of myself. She did call and I was screen-tested for the role. It was that scene where I try to molest Bhagyashree, Salman rescues her and I ask him, “Kyon Prem tum bhi wohi chahate ho jo main chahata hoon, ek ladka ladki kabhi dost nahin ho sakte. Yeh to ek parda hai parda....” Soorajji liked my work but Rajji was hesitant. He said he wasn’t comfortable casting Nutan’s son in a negative role. I assured them that mom wouldn’t mind and that I would have her call them up to put their minds at ease. Mom did call them and I landed the role. Ten years later, during the shoot of HSSH, Raj babu told me that mom had called to tell him, “Don’t punish him for being my son.” Coming eight years after her death this bit of info hit me real hard.

Are you partial to the Rajshris? You seem to reserve your best shots for them?
Not true at all, I devote my very best to every film. No actor can really hold himself back in front of the camera - it’s not possible.

How much of the real Mohnish is there in HSSH ?
100 per cent. I give my parents and my family first priority like Vivek in the film. I believe in the joint family system. For economic reasons, if some have adopted the nuclear system, they should be emotionally together. Like Tabu points out to Salman in the film, “Yeh bhi kya kam hai ki alag ho ke bhi hum saath saath hain?” Strength comes from togetherness.

Did your role evolve during the making?
Soorajji works with a bound script. The first day he narrated the script to us with 40 odd characters, dialogue, shot division and even the background score all worked out. But that doesn’t mean he’s rigid or autocratic, he’s flexible enough to incorporate minor changes during the shoot.

Everyone was reminded of Nutan while watching you in HSSH.
In every shot I’d try and feel her being as I knew her, it was a conscious effort. The character I had to portray had all the goodness and purity that my mom embodied as a human being. (Sighs) I really wish she were here today.

Can you pick a fave scene from HSSH?
Very difficult, can you do that? Even as you were asking me that question so many scenes rushed across my mind screen - that introductory song which Karisma and Saif sing for Tabu or as Tabu supports my wavering hand during the marriage ceremony and many more such. Soorajji is a fabulous storyteller.

How would you like to be known as the Rajshris favourite mascot?
Believe me, they don’t need me. I’m lucky to have these opportunities to work with them. One common factor in these three films is Rajshri and then the artistes - Alok Nath, Reema Lagoo, Ajit Vachhani, Himani Shivpuri, Salman and me.

Why has Sooraj kept Salman on a leash this time, isn’t he supposed to be upset with Khan?
That’s what you feel, because you are comparing Salman’s role with the two previous ventures. But remember while MPK was an out and out love story where the hero was the central character, HAHK was a romance against a family backdrop - so the hero was important. HSSH on the other hand, is a family social with romance being just one of its elements. HSSH comprises 40 odd characters and like waves, some characters rise and fall.

Madhuri is said to have declined to play your heroine, her loss turned out to be Tabu’s gain. Does that make you smile?
Not really. We never heard of the film’s story until recently. That’s just not like the Barjatya’s. As far as I know it was Tabu from day one. I am sure if there was something of the sort, I would have heard of it earlier. That the whole thing came out just before the release of the film sounds fishy to me.

After 17 years in the industry don’t you feel like directing or producing a film now?
Working with certain directors I have realised that you need a whole lot of experience and awareness to be able to direct a film. Every film I do with Soorajji, I learn a lot more and I realise I am nowhere close to becoming a director.

In retrospect, what would you say was the most trying period of your career?
Between 1985 to 87 - I had no work and would sit at home and hope to get a job in the aviation industry. I used to keep my mother up till 2 in the morning talking, harassing her. Dad would say, “It’s ok, why do you need to work?,” but I needed an occupation.

Mother would pacify me, telling me it had taken her 13 films before she got into the mainstream cinema. People used to say, “If you wish to draw Nutan just draw a straight line,” she had been victim of such ridicule. Then she would cite Amitabh Bachchan’s example - he had his share of rejections for his voice and height, the same drawbacks turned out to be his plus points later.

Which of your films did she like the most?
I don’t remember her mentioning any that she liked. But she just loved Maine Pyar Kiya, she was relieved to see that I had found my calling.

Does acting need to be hereditary?
It doesn’t. But one does tend to chose one’s parents’ occupation, generally. Acting is something inherent - you either have it or you don’t. It helps if you’re from the same background. In my case my mother’s goodwill has been my greatest benefactor.

What kind of childhood did you have with a film actress and naval officer for parents?
My childhood was neither bohemian nor regimented. I was brought up with a sense of respect for time, things and people. I am trying to pass it on to my daughter.

What’s your ultimate ambition?
I am not looking for financial rewards, only respectability. I want to live up to the name my mom created for herself. I don’t mean in any way to challenge, surpass or come anywhere near it - but I’d like people to recognise I’m from the same bloodline.

Which are your forthcoming releases?
I play a villain in Rakesh Roshan’s Kaho Naa...Pyar Hai, the second lead in Jaanwar and I am romantically paired opposite Tabu in Astitva. And there’s Shyam Bajaj’s Salman-starrer on the anvil, too.

Deepa Karmalkar