Paresh: I’m not here to do anyone a favour

Paresh Rawal is perhaps one of the few actors who has mastered the art of playing both, negative and comedy characters with great panache.
Of late he’s been seen a lot in comic roles in De Dana Dhan and Paa among others. But he will soon hit the screen in a totally different avatar in director Amit Chedda’s Road to Sangam where he plays a God fearing and devout Muslim mechanic, Hashmat Ullah.
The story takes shape when he has to repair a car that was used to carry the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi to be immersed in the sangam of the holy rivers, Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.Its historic significance becomes Hashmat’s bane and salvage. The movie delves into the psyche of the community and tries to understand and explore their insecurities, apprehension and suffering. Paresh says, “The script has been written with a lot of passion and this type of cinema definitely deserves all the support it can get.”
Interestingly, when Road to Sangam was first offered to Paresh, he was a tad sceptical as it was an absolutely new ensemble he would be working with. He called director Amit to Goa and gave him 10 minutes to narrate his story. However, he ended up sitting through a two-hour narration and was completely taken up by the script.
Paresh has been constantly applauded for his ‘perfect comic timing’. “What is comic timing?” he asks adding, “Acting is all about timing. For me, comedy coming out at the right time is a part of my acting weaponry. As also is being perfect in the role of a villain. But I must admit, I do miss my good old baddie days.” Paresh feels Bollywood is more sensible now. “Earlier it was about escapism. Now, with a new crop of writers coming to the fore, the scenario is more hopeful. As an actor I feel safe.”
There are rumours doing the rounds that Paresh has a fixed price tag and would rather forfeit roles than lower his price. Is it true? “Not at all,” he says. “I can’t stand directors who try and make a fool out of me, I can see right through them. But I won’t let a price tag comes in the way of a good role. At the same time, I’m not here to do a anyone a favour,” he concludes.