'Determination Not To Bend Before Aurangzeb'

'...despite all his horses, elephants, tanks and swords.'
'A determination to hold fast to Sambhaji Maharaj's father, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's thoughts, ideals, and principles.'

He started his career in 2002 with the Sanjay Dutt starrer Pitaah, written and directed by Mahesh Manjrekar, playing Bhola, the youngest son of Om Puri's vengeful zamindar, Thakur Avadh Narayan Singh, who commits an unforgivable crime and is rightfully punished for it.

In the 23 years since, no one has doubted that Vineet Kumar Singh is an actor par excellence. Despite brilliant performances in films like Ugly, the Bombay Talkies anthology and the sports drama, Mukkabaaz, it is only now that with Laxman Utekar's Chhaava, he is finally enjoying overwhelming, unprecedented success.

But amidst the joy and celebrations is a sense of loss and grief for two men who were part of his journey, had shown great confidence in him in his struggling days, but are not around today to enjoy the fruits of success with him. One of them is his personal make-up man on Chhaava, Sujit Janardan Thakur.

Opening his heart to Rediff Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya in the first of a two-part interview, Vineet says, "Sujit left his home the previous evening in an autorickshaw for his friend's place so he wouldn't be late arriving for the shoot the next day. But he didn't arrive."

Did you expect Kavi Kalash, your character in Chhaava to bring you the kind of popularity you had been dreaming of for over two decades?

I had told Vicky (Kaushal, who played the lead, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj), who is like a younger brother I've known since Gangs of Wasseypur when he was Anurag's (Kashyap) assistant and I was playing Danish Khan, that this film would be big.

But honestly, I didn't expect it to be this big!

However, there was one person who would tell me at least three-four times every day, 'Sir, yeh film bahut bada hit hoga and after its release, you will never look back.'

He was Sujit Janardan Thakur, my personal make-up man on Chhaava, aur aaj woh din aa gaya hai (and today that day is here.)

But he passed away during the shoot.

I would like to dedicate this success to him.

What happened to him?

It was a mysterious death.

We were to film the scene where Rayaji and Annaji are surprised to see Kavi Kalash eating alone and when questioned, he reasons that since he has lived in the ilaka of the Mughals, it is understandable that no Maratha would want to sit with him.

The poet was from Prayagraj and consequently, his friendship with Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was looked upon with suspicion by the Marathas.

This scene was to be picturised at night, at a location shoot in Mumbai.

Since it would take me a while to get ready, Sujit left his home in Kurla (north east Mumbai) the previous evening in an autorickshaw for his friend's place in Goregaon (north west Mumbai) so that he wouldn't be late for the shoot the next day.

But he didn't arrive there to stay the night as planned.

Initially, his friend thought he had gone somewhere else and tried calling him but his phone was switched off.

The next day, when he didn't turn up on the set all day, we began to get concerned.

Fearing the worst, we doubled our efforts to trace his whereabouts, but came up nought.

We then contacted the cops.

Since work had to go on, we shot through the night.

The next morning, after pack-up, we got a call from the cops asking if someone from Sujit's family could come over.

We had already contacted his wife and children sensing something was amiss.

We thought it was to file an FIR.

They found him?

At the Crime Branch, we were shown a picture of a body which had been found on the Bandra Kurla Complex bridge. It was Sujit's.

We rushed to Sion Hospital and then to the BKC police station.

There were a lot of formalities to be completed before the body could be handed over to the family.

We then spent a couple of days making arrangements for it to be sent to his village because his family wanted the last rites to be performed there.

Sujit was from Darbhanga in Bihar and we sent him back there to rest in peace.

But what really happened that night which led to his tragic and untimely demise?

No one knows, it remains a mystery.

But today, when six-year-old kids are hugging me in the theatres I have been visiting quietly, delighted that Kavi Kalash is still alive and amongst them, when their parents are crying unabashedly moved by his words, I really miss Sujit.

Usko mere saath hona chahiye tha (should have been with me), it would have given him so much joy to see what he had predicted come true.

Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and Kavi Kalash's friendship is at the heart of Chhaava.

Yes, it's a beautiful picture of brotherhood with the two embracing death together.

Kavi Kalash's last pearls of wisdom that have moved so many to tears are not just poetic verses, they are laden with so many emotions.

There is pain and helplessness, and at the same time, there is anger and pride.

A determination not to bend before Aurangzeb despite all his horses, elephants, tanks and swords.

A determination to hold fast to Sambhaji Maharaj's father, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's thoughts, ideals, and principles.

Did you have a friend like Kavi Kalash growing up?

I am a friend like Kavi Kalash myself, maine dosti hamesha nibhaye hoon (I am a true friend).

And yes, I had a friend like him.

Unfortunately, Dr Vipul Anand passed away last year.

We were roommates at the Rishikul Ayurveda College in Haridwar.

He knew I wanted to enter the film industry and when I would run off to Delhi to seek admission in NSD (National School of Drama), he would give me proxy.

Vipul was a good actor himself and we would rehearse together in our room.

He wanted to be an actor too but since he was his parents' only son, he couldn't pursue his dream.

He went to Mauritius and started his practice there.

But we stayed in touch and he would motivate me with long posts.

Like Sujit, Vipul should have been here, enjoying this success with me, but yeh din dekhne ke pehle hi woh chale gaye (he left before he could see this day).

Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff.com