'What more can I ask for?'
'Salman and Ranbir Kapoor know how to respect their seniors.'
Aanjjan Srivastav played the Common Man -- based on R K Laxman's memorable character -- to great acclaim in the television show, Wagle Ki Duniya.
But there's so much more to him.
Did you know that he balanced his acting career with a job at Allahabad Bank?
As Srivastav turns 75, he looks back at his life and tells Patcy N/Rediff.com, "Amitabh had an account in our Allahabad Bank, so I would visit his house as an banker. He opened an account in our bank because I asked him to, and I am really grateful to him."
'Once when we were shooting, I was doing a scene while Hrishida was shaving. Without even seeing, he said cut'
Hrishikeshda (Mukherjee) was a well-read person, a scholar. He had graduated with a double MSc, and then come into films.
He worked in Bimal Roy Productions, and was a good editor.
Once he explained the scene to the actors, he would not look at the shot. He would just listen to how the actors said the dialogue and based on that, he would say cut.
Once when we were shooting, I was doing a scene while Hrishida was shaving. Without even seeing, he said cut.
I was shocked.
But he was a genius editor and would only shoot what was required.
'I have played prime ministers in Bakri'
M S Sathyu was my guru.
I started my first play with him, and then did Bakri, Sufaid Kundali, Dande Ka Ghoda, Rakshas, Moteram Ka Satyagraha and Aakhri Shama.
He was a very confident director. He could look at an actor and access his talent.
Theatre was very important for him. He would drop all other work for theatre. Nowadays, he stays in Bangalore and does not come to Mumbai much.
I have a learnt a lot from him, like how to improvise.
I have played prime ministers in Bakri from Indira Gandhi to Atal Bihari Vajapyee.
He would read all the political news in the newspapers and then incorporate them in plays.
He was not a strict director, but he knew his actors and their capabilities.
'Working with Aziz Mirza is every actor's dream'
Working with Aziz Mirza in Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman was a masterpiece experience.
His assistants were also like him -- all lively people! Kundan Shah was always associated with him.
They gave me a lot of freedom and allowed me to improvise.
In fact, he would enjoy and react to the improvisations. That's a plus point for any actor if the director reacts.
Working with Aziz Mirza is every actor's dream.
'China Gate was way ahead of its time'
Rajkumar Santoshi gave me a lot of work -- Damini, Barsaat, Ghatak, Pukar, China Gate, Lajja, Halla Bol.
I met him in Delhi when I went to collect an award for Wagle Ki Duniya, and he had come to collect an award for Ghayal.
After that, our tuning was set. It was like family.
He would call me not just for script-reading, but also during scripting in the initial days.
Both he and Kundan worked with Govind Nihalani, so they were brilliant. He would use a lot of drama in his films.
In Barsaat, Ghatak and Damini, I played positive roles. When he offered me another one in Pukar, I asked for a negative role. Because of my image in Wagle Ki Duniya, directors would not easily offer negative roles to me. But he believed in me and gave me one.
He would enact the role for his actors.
In Barsaat, Bobby Deol had to climb a horse. Santoshi showed him how to do it by climbing onto the horse himself.
He said, 'If I expect my hero to do it, I should be able to do it too.'
Not all his films were successful. When China Gate was made, our audiences were not open to a film like that. It was way ahead of its time.
People appreciate the film today.
'I left my bank job in 1999, a few years before my retirement'
I have worked with all the stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna and Vinod Mehra.
Amitabh had an account in our Allahabad Bank branch, so I would visit his house as an banker.
He opened an account in our bank because I asked him to, and I am really grateful to him.
Because of him, other actors like Jackie Shroff, Raj Babbar, Shabana Azmi and Bindiya Goswami opened their accounts in our branch. My chairman was very happy with me, so he allowed me to do my acting assignments.
I left my job in 1999, a few years before my retirement because a few of my colleagues started taunting me.
I am getting a pension now.
'Salman stands up when I enter the room'
I have worked with Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan.
Now, I am working with young actors like Ayushmann Khurrana (Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui) and Vicky Kaushal (Sam Bahadur).
Ayushmann is a better actor among today's generation.
I was associated with Shah Rukh very early in his career. He was already an actor (in television serials like Dil Dariya and Fauji) when he came into Kundan Shah and Saeed-Aziz Mirza's group.
Before Shah Rukh, other actors were offered a role in Wagle Ki Duniya, but they refused. Shah Rukh did it happily.
Shah Rukh was open to all kinds of roles, not only hero roles.
He would always ask whether he was reacting to the character properly. He always wanted to get better.
He didn't just want to be a hero, he wanted to be a good actor.
He was like Rajesh Khanna.
I worked with him in Chamatkar, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman; I played his father in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na.
We worked together again in Shimit Amin's Chak De! India and later in When Harry Met Sejal.
Shah Rukh is always good to me.
Salman is very nice too. I worked with him in Bandhan, Tumko Na Bhul Payenge and Yuvvraaj.
Salman and Ranbir Kapoor know how to respect their seniors.
Salman stands up when I enter the room, what more can I ask for?
