Playing the former Pakistani PM Liaquat Ali Khan in the web series Freedom At Midnight is a big leap for Rajesh Kumar, who was boxed into playing roles with a comedic flair
Rajesh Kumar
One of the most versatile actors in showbiz, Rajesh Kumar, who rose to fame as Rosesh Sarabhai in the Indian sitcom Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, is now making headlines for his role as Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Liaquat Ali Khan in the web series Freedom At Midnight. He speaks exclusively to Mid-day about taking a break from television, exploring OTT, and more.
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Rajesh Kumar on taking a break from television
After doing television for years, Rajesh Kumar recalls hitting a roadblock in 2017, when he jumped into farming. The reason? His commitment to a longer format.
He explains, “In television, date adjustment is difficult for the production house and for you. So if you get small work, also which is much meatier, you know you can. There is a monotony of going every day and performing the same thing for years and years. To break that, if you get a coffee break outside, you do not get an opportunity to do that. You hit that roadblock in terms of becoming a little complacent. The work you do on yourself or the scene, you get a lax attitude.”
He continues, “When you are doing OTT or films, the best part about it is that preparation time is more, shooting time is less, and in that less time, you become the most aware because it happens only once. There are times of improvement in television. For example, if I talk about Sarabhai, in the first 4 episodes or 6 episodes, my voice was good, and what happened after 10 episodes was that I had time to grow in it. But in this, you have to be prepared with full armor. It's one opportunity. There is no room for error. That is why this medium is much more enjoyable.”
Rajesh Kumar on getting typecast as a comedy actor
Playing the former Pakistani PM in Freedom at Midnight is a big leap for Rajesh Kumar, who was boxed into playing roles with a comedic flair. While the actor is indeed trying to break away from his image as the go-to guy to make the audience laugh, he wouldn’t deny a script since he owns this genre like a pro.
Rajesh states, “For me, comedy is like classical music. You can sing any song at home in the bathroom, but when it comes to singing a raga-based song, that's when your training truly comes into play. I have this skill, this vidha (genre), where I can perform a classical piece—in the name of comedy. The sad part of our industry is how typecasting works. Once you're seen as a comedian, the makers have to make a choice: Do they see you as a trained actor who can do comedy, or do they simply label you a comedian? Unfortunately, we often get tagged as just that—"He’s a comedian."
“What is it about comedians? Their emotion is so solid because they understand rhythm, the meter, and the pauses in dialogue. They know what the audience is listening to, and they know exactly when to stop their pulse because comedy is all about timing. Despite mastering these nuances, it’s disappointing to still be boxed in as a comedian. People don’t realize that if someone can craft a character like Rosesh and make it believable, imagine what else they could do if given the chance to explore different kinds of roles,” the actor concludes.
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