Bihar Diary: An Actor Votes

This land needs a lot of dedication from the people at the helm. It deserves all the great things that could possibly happen, or have been due for a long time. People in Bihar deserve a good life, a constant source of income and, of course, peace and security. This proud community worships even the setting sun and this perhaps shows, more than anything else, that we see hope even when the light goes out. That is who we are.

Biharis have always been extremely interested in politics and political discussions are a day-to-day affair when you are growing up in the state. It was no different for me in my early years at my ancestral village, Belwa. We were all cued into whatever was happening politically at the national or the state level. I can distinctly remember the heated arguments we used to have in our family during election time, with some supporting one party and the others rooting for another party in the fray. There was never a dull moment during those animated discussions or debates over elections or politics.

As an actor, I will naturally speak for my area of interest. And I think that the government has to be the patron-in-chief of art and culture. In the absence of government support, art and culture will never flourish in any state. Bihar has had a rich tradition of folk art and culture, painting etc., which has been somehow ignored down the years.

None of the government ever chose to focus on the state’s art or artisans who were once known all over the world. They are nowhere to be seen today and have been somewhere left behind. I have been a constant supporter of state patronage to the art and culture, especially folk art, and I think that should happen. Also, as a theatre person, I would say that the state government should open up a theatre institute with state-of-the-art facilities and also encourage people to support all the artistes locally. There are a few things which will not only take Bihar forward but also earn a lot of respect from outside.

It is a pleasant experience to see the phenomenal response to our recent rap song, Mumbai Main Ka Ba. We had no idea that it would become so popular, that people would watch it with subtitles in different languages across the country and beyond. We had thought of doing it after seeing the plight of the migrant workforce during the lockdown and we were quite serious about the subject. But I did not see it becoming a national anthem of sorts. In fact, the writer of the rap, Dr Sagar, has told me that he has been receiving offers to write songs from the southern film industry. It is amazing that a Bhojpuri rap has struck a chord with listeners everywhere. It is also flattering to know that Mumbai Main Ka Ba has been used extensively at various forums and also by many political parties during campaigning for the assembly elections. It is heartening that its versions in different languages and dialects have come up and many new and upcoming singers have sung it in their own way to gain popularity on social media platforms. The song is, of course, in public domain now and they can use it for whatever purpose. I am happy and have no reasons to complain about it. As far as doing a Bhojpuri film is concerned, I am primarily an actor and I have been very positive about it. I am always open to any script that comes my way.

I, for one, have never faced any kind of discrimination for being a Bihari in the film industry in the past 25 years or so. I know that I have always worn my Bihari identity on my sleeves. In the beginning, when I was doing theatre in Mumbai, there was a lot of angst in me all the time. It might have intimidated people enough to believe that this guy can respond in any way, so it is better to keep a safe distance from him. The outsider-insider thing must have been there in the film industry with this group or that lobby but I always steered clear of them all, simply ignoring if it ever came my way.

(As told to Giridhar Jha)