New Delhi: When I went for Iqbal audition, I thought that it’s my last audition, I will leave the industry after this, says Shreyas Talpade. The actor talks about the film as it completes 20 years, how he almost failed the test and MF Husain paintings of Iqbal.
Q. What was the journey of Iqbal? How did it come to you?
Nagesh Kukunoor was looking for an actor who can bowl, or a bowler who can act. And when the film came to me, I desperately wanted to do a film, so I said yes. I didn’t care whether it was a small role or a big role—I’d do it with the same focus and love. So I went to go see Nagesh, and when I met him, Nagesh asked me three questions, and I failed in all three questions technically. He asked me my age; I told him 29, to which he said, “I wanted an eighteen year old. Then he asked me if I was a bowler. I told him no, I told him I am an actor, I play cricket. He then said, “I need a fast bowler. Anyway, you play cricket, do you bowl fast?” I told him, no, I don’t do fast bowling, I do medium-paced bowling.
After that, two people were shortlisted. I don’t know who it was, but both of us were shortlisted. Now the question before them was who to choose. The office had a voting; the production and direction team saw the auditions and there was a voting conducted. I got half of the votes and the other half went to the other guy. So it was a 50-50 voting. Nagesh’s vote came in my favour. That’s how I became Iqbal.
So for me, when I got the call from my friend about this, I was going through a low phase of my career; I was on the verge of quitting the industry. I was about to get married, and nothing was happening in my career. I thought, okay, let’s try one last audition. And you won’t believe it, see how things change when they have to. When I went for that audition, I thought that it’s my last audition, I will leave the industry after this, so I did something different, since I was thinking it was my last audition. And honestly, I don’t remember what I did, but I do remember thinking I should try something different. I thought it doesn’t work how I want it to with normal auditions. When you think that nothing is going to happen ahead, and you surrender that, that’s when God makes it work in your favour.
Q. Tell me about the MF Husain paintings
MF Husain, as an artist, made ten paintings on the theme of Iqbal. And he distributed that money to the team after he sold those paintings. At that time, I remember, I received a cheque of Rs 75,000. For me, it was a huge thing. Rs 75,000—I cannot tell you, I was so happy. I had just gotten married; this is the film I had done.