Mohan Agashe recounts his long and illustrious career, which has taken
varied shades: as a psychiatrist, as a performer in plays, and as an actor in
both art-house and popular cinema.
Updated on: 14 October 2024 4:23 pm, Outlook
Mohan Agashe Photo:
IMDb
Veteran actor Mohan Agashe has many facets. As an
actor, he has worked with renowned directors of the parallel cinema movement and is well-known
for his role in the play Ghashiram Kotwal (1972). He is also a
psychiatrist and has produced several films that address mental health issues.
He is the former Director of the Film and Television Institute of India
(FTII). Arvind Das recently spoke to him about his life and career. Edited
excerpts:
Q
Let’s start with your theatrical journey. Do you
remember your first acting experience?
A
For me, acting was like it is for any child—an
activity we all go through as we grow up, around the age of three, four, or
five. We all mimic, whether it’s our teachers, our fathers, etc., as a form of
communication, not professionally. Acting is in my own nature. It’s one of the
natural ways of learning about oneself and the world. The school I attended had
some teachers who were also good at dramatics. I was also lucky because around
the same time, Sai Paranjpye and Arun Joglekar had started a children’s theatre
in Pune. They would hunt talent for a program called Balodyan, a
Sunday show on All India Radio (AIR), Pune, in the late 1950s and early
1960s. Before that, during Rabindranath Tagore’s birth centenary, I played
the character of Amal, a terminally ill child, in the play Dak
Ghar. His only way of interacting with the world was through a window,
where he would make friends.
Q
Was Dak Ghar for AIR?
A
No. You see, Maharashtra has a strong tradition of amateur theatre groups. For example, Vijaya Mehta started with a group called Rangayan, Satyadev Dubey with Theatre Unit, and Bhalba Kelkar started with the Progressive Dramatic Association. The group I was involved with was Maharashtra Kalopasak, and this was for a public show in Pune. Around the same time, I also used to go to Balodyan programs on Sundays. Gopinath Talwalkar, Sai Paranjpye, and one gentleman named Neminath were involved. I acted in Sai’s play Nirupama Aani Parirani, which was later made into a film. Mr Vinay Kale made a film based on Sai’s script in 1961, where I played Pinocchio. That was my first film.
Q
So, you became an actor first, then a doctor, and
later the Director at FTII?
A
What I want to say is that anyone who becomes an
actor later in life actually starts in childhood. They may not be on stage, but
they act at home...
Q
You were born in July 1947. Your life started with
independent India. How do you see your and India’s journey?
A
This whole thing about thinking and
intellectualising everything is a new mechanism. Until I went to medical
college, I wasn’t analysing things—I was just doing them. I’m not one of those
who are intellectually very bright. I think the first sign of getting old is
when you start looking back on your life.
A screengrab from Kaasav
Q
How did you manage theatre while attending medical
school?
A
After school, I continued acting until pre-medical.
In my first year of medical college, I met Jabbar Patel, a well-known name in
theatre, and theatre became as serious an activity for me as my medical
studies. I acted throughout my medical career and even joined an amateur
theatre group, the Progressive Dramatic Association. My life in psychiatry and
in theatre/cinema were like two parallel streams.
Q
And how did you start acting in Parallel Cinema,
beginning with Shyam Benegal’s Nishant [1975]?
A
He saw me in the play Ghashiram Kotwal.
I played the character of Nana, which I enjoyed performing for twenty years
[from 1972 to ’92]. Ghashiram was like a school for me. It
took me across the country and abroad, expanding my horizons. By 1975, it had
become a milestone in Indian theatre. It was invited to more than 20 international
festivals, and we participated in 12, with a total of 61 performances. There
wasn’t a person in the film or theatre industry who hadn’t seen Ghashiram.
Screengrab from Ghashiram Kotwal Photo:
IMDb
Q
Recently, I saw Manthan [1976] in
the cinema hall when its restored version was released and I was surprised to
see you playing a doctor’s role in the movie.
A
Yes, I started Parallel films with Benegal. I was
put into that orbit. Because of my love for psychiatry I didn’t move to Mumbai
like others. I did one or two films a year. I acted in [movies by] Govind
Nihalani, Jabbar Patel, Gautam Ghosh and Satyajit
Ray’s Sadgati [1981]. It was just a
coincidence that in Premchand’s story [Sadgati] the name of the Brahmin
is Ghashiram. So, while reading the story he might have made a connection with
Ghashiram.
Q
What kind of relationship did you share with Ray?
A
He was great, I don’t argue on this point with
anybody. Although Sadgati is only 52 minutes long, it gave me
enough time to know why Ray is Ray—and why he was miles ahead of
others. There may be people in the film institute [FTII] who thought that
Ray was not great, Mani [Kaul] was great but that’s their limited thinking.
Even though I acted in Mani’s film Ghashiram Kotwal [1976], it
didn’t run for three days. Those filmmakers didn’t care whether people liked
their films or not. In Mani and Kumar Shahani’s films, characters don’t talk
like human beings, they talk like props.
Q
But Mani Kaul’s movies Ashadh Ka Ek
Din [1971] and Duvidha [1973] were appreciated a lot…
A
Ashad Ka Ek Din is based
on Mohan Rakesh’s play. Mani only transformed what was written in words into an
audio-visual medium. A lot of credit goes to the writer also. Duvidha I
liked. Mani wanted to make films which he wanted to make. He was not
bothered about anything else. [In Ghashiram Kotwal], he got Vijay
Tendulkar to write a beautiful script using the play as a basis. It was
completely different from the play; he just used excerpts from it. If you get
any meaning out of it, honestly, tell me. Dr [Shreeram] Lagoo once said, “I
never thought in my life I couldn’t understand a film in Marathi. Ghashiram is
a film which I don’t understand.”
Q
You acted in Prakash Jha’s films, too. What was
that experience like?
A
Yes, I did. He has made socially relevant films. He
made three films against the backdrop of Bihar: Mrityudand [1997], Gangaajal [2003]
and Apaharan [2005]. These are very much related to the
current situation. So, I enjoyed doing that. You know, nobody bought his
National Award-winning film, Damul [1985]. Nobody saw it. He
got frustrated and went back to Bihar. When he came back he said I will tell my
story but use the language of Bollywood. He learnt a lesson and made Mrityudand.
Q
You acted in mainstream Bollywood
films like Trimurti [1995], Rang De Basanti [2005]...
A
See, I don’t differentiate. What I definitely know
is there is a parallel cinema and there is a popular cinema. I am for cinema
beyond entertainment. Recently I saw Laapataa Ladies [2024], Badhaai
Ho [2018]. These are excellent films. Now, Baahubali [2015]
is influencing Bollywood…
Q
How do you see the rise of OTT and giving space to
a new crop of filmmakers?
A
In one way, OTT is good, but initially when OTT
came they used to acquire/buy films from talented filmmakers. But now they have
started producing their own content. Again, individual filmmakers are not able
to make films they want.
Screengrab from Astu Photo: IMDb
Q
Coming to Marathi cinema: You’ve acted in Devrai [2004], Astu [2013], Kaasav [2017]—all
of which deal with mental health issues. Can you tell us about your association
with these films?
A
I didn’t just act in them, I also produced them. I
like cinema that makes you think. I’m fond of such cinema. These films were
made by Sumitra Bhave who was not a filmmaker to begin with. She was a social
scientist. When she realised cinema was a more powerful medium than a book, she
learnt filmmaking. She made films which made you think. She didn’t make films
like David Dhawan or Subhash Ghai. So I thought I can use these films to
promote mental health education in the general population as well as those who
practice health science. Mental illness, psychiatry are made fun of in
popular cinema. Taare Zameen Par [2007] was different.
Kaasav poster Photo: IMDb
Q
You’ve been based in Pune. How has the city
influenced your creative journey?
A
For me, Pune is only that Pune which existed when I
was a child. Rest of it I don’t consider Pune. It’s no longer cultural Pune. I
have lived here for more than 74 years. It’s become a cosmopolitan city. If you
speak Marathi people will look at you strangely. Pune has lost its identity. I
once went to the municipal corporation to get the death certificate of Pune!
Arvind Das is Professor and Director of School of
Media and Journalism at D Y Patil International University, Pune.
