Drugs, love keep Rahul going

Rahul Bose may play different roles with ease, but when he steps into the world, he is for real, far removed from the ‘make-believe’ world he inhabits as an actor. We caught up with him when he was in Delhi recently and got talking about social causes close to his heart, things that leave him perturbed, being an adrenaline junkie and movies, of course.
You worked for the Tsunami victims in 2004.You have worked for other charitable causes, and now Leh. How do you deal with all the suffering you see? Do you look towards spirituality?
I don’t believe in God, I only believe that we have all the strength inside us. All our demons, and all our strengths are inside us, so it’s up to us to deal with pain. The toughest pain to deal with is your own pain, the easiest, somebody else’s. When I addressed people in a relief camp in Leh, what I said was not that I feel bad, don’t worry and everything will be okay. I said what distresses me is the loss of power in your eyes. You are proud mothers, responsible fathers, far-thinking grandfathers. What happened to those qualities? You are still the same people. Just because the floods came, you can’t let go of those qualities. I can understand if you have been irresponsible, then you can feel bad and weak about yourself. But why are you feeling that about yourself here? Don’t give the power in your life to other people, share the power. You can be a partner with the people. I told them don’t feel that the government is giving you something. You pay taxes, so this money is for you.
Was there any point when you turned towards these things?
Yes, it was. The 2002 Gujarat riots and the systematic targeting of Muslims and women (Muslim women mostly), was something that I just couldn’t bear. It shook me, for ever. And after that I said, I will not stand by and watch pain. If I can help, I will.
What lessons can city dwellers, far removed from such calamities, learn from the efforts of the community there in Leh?
Ladakh’s had a very good track record of hygiene even before the disaster. They had toilets and practice dry pit use and if these practices are put to use in other disaster zones, it would not lead to disease and the unhygienic conditions that follow such disasters. When you see 25 families together crying out for food, you think of it as a disaster, but when you see one family in Ladakh in a similar situation, because it is so far away, you think, theek hai yaar. But the pain is the same. If a building falls down with 65 families losing their homes, it’s big news, but if someone’s mud huts falls in a corner of Leh, you might shrug it off. We have to react to individual tragedies.
And how is the community coping there?
There is a strong sense of community among the survivors. They have uncles, aunts and other people coming in to help them. It’s not like Mumbai, where you don’t know your next door neighbour.
How much does a celeb’s presence help?
My personal feeling is that it helps to meet people and tell them the one thing they want to hear – that they are not alone. It perhaps helps from the point of view of giving you (the press) a more real idea from the ground, maybe, because I don’t talk like an NGO, nor do I talk like a government agency.
Work-wise, who all have you really enjoyed working with?
Among directors, Aparna Sen, Buddhadeb Dasgupta and Santosh Sivan.
What makes them stand apart?
When I worked with these filmmakers, the feeling on the sets was special – the project, the material, the mental and emotional fit with the director, and the role you are playing has a lot to do with it.
How do you deal with tags like ‘art house actor’ or ‘cerebral actor’?
At least they give me some tag! What if tomorrow they say, ‘Arre, yeh kaun hai?’
How do you define the cinema you do?
It’s not mainstream. Even Onir’s, “I Am,” “Kuch Love Jaisa,” “Fired,” they are not mainstream. I would say it is independent cinema.
Did you want to do typical commercial cinema?
Never. Only now I am saying I want to do an action film.
After “Khatron Ke Khiladi”?
No. Generally, I thought that there’ll be one film in my life where I would fly through the air and shoot guns. But if that doesn’t happen, it’s okay.
Have you always been interested in action?
Yeah, always. Not stunts, but I’ve white water rafted for 135 km on a five-day expedition, I almost lost my life, I’ve bungee jumped, I’ve paraglided, apart from playing rugby, I have gone mountaineering till abut 17,000 feet. I am an adrenaline junkie. Which guy who has played rugby for 26 years will not be an adrenaline junkie? So I said this (the TV show) is fantastic and you are getting paid for it and the money will go to my foundation. And I knew it wasn’t one of those shows where they want to see you emotionally destroyed. It was a fun thing.
What keeps you going?
Drugs!
Anything else?
Love. I don’t do anything I don’t love. I love acting in films, I love my social contract, I love my sport. I love, love, love my sport!
You mean rugby?
Rugby and all the other sports I’m playing now. I’m doing all kinds of different things. I’m playing squash, running about 20 km, I’m doing this freaky yoga stuff with my eyes shut. I’m doing some explosive exercises on the ground.
Explosive exercises?
Yeah, to build up explosive fitness.
Is that something new?
No, if you talk to sportspersons they’ve done it before but I’m developing it in an interesting way – climbing ropes and punching bags.
You were in the Indian rugby team and now that you have retired, how are you coping with it?
I am still playing rugby. But not for the Indian team. I’ve played for 11 years. I’m 43. You just can’t keep putting on make-up and going and playing rugby and saying that you are 30 years old. So I’m okay. See, in my life, if something happens, it’s great, if it doesn’t happen, great. Life is not in our control. All you can do is your best right now. That’s all I do. But I have a way that I believe the world should work, that you should not be unfair, you should not be cruel, and you should not be selfish. If that doesn’t happen, then I just walk away from it.
How has all the relief work you’ve done changed you as a person?
Human nature is to say ‘haan haan kar lenge’, but you should fight that. Your first impulse is to promise things that may or may not happen. So, now my first impulse is to under-promise. You can over-deliver, but always under-promise. And any feelings of superiority or of being a great person, you can forget, because ultimately, the next time you need help from someone and they look at you like that, you’ll feel terrible. It also makes you feel deeply grounded, it humanizes you completely.
Are there any people or issues you feel very close to?
Communal harmony and victims of communal riots, I feel very close to this issue. And women. I feel deeply perturbed about any atrocities against women. I would say these two issues are the closest to me.
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