Manav Kaul received critical appreciation for his role in films like Kai Po Che, CityLights, and now as Sulu’s (played by Vidya Balan) husband in Tumhari Sulu. But Manav says he hates the term ‘character actor’, as according to him every actor plays or must play characters, as being a hero must get boring.
In this interview, Manav Kaul talks about how he always knew that the film belonged to Vidya and how it is what he waited for after playing a series of negative roles.
Why did you pick Tumhari Sulu?
It was one of the best scripts I have ever read. I was playing a lot of negative roles before Tumhari Sulu and I was waiting for almost one and a half years for a different role. So, this film was a welcome change that way too. It was a dream team to work with, and a dream role to play. I was waiting for something positive to happen, and I had a lot of fun playing Sulu’s husband Ashok.
You have been recognised and appreciated for the characters you have played in films like Kai Po Che, CityLights and more. How is it being a character actor in an industry which is into hero worship?
I hate the term character actor. We all play characters, heroes are boring. Everyone is playing a character now, from Ranbir (Kapoor) to Ranveer (Singh). I loved playing Ashok’s character as he is a middle-class husband who has issues at work. I also come from a middle-class and humble background, I have seen my brother struggling all his life to make his and our dreams come true. I have seen this life very closely, so it was not an unfamiliar territory for me, I have been here, and I have lived this life. I am like Ashok. I am a very lovable person and I love my family.
Finally, stories close to real life are appearing on screen. Here a love story between a husband and his wife is shown. The mundane is glorified. What do you have to say about the shift?
There is no shift. We have had Hrishikesh Mukherjee telling these stories all the time and we have grown up loving his films. Marriages in our culture are special. There is a lot of love and compassion, so even if you think there is a shift in cinema by showing such stories, then it is a good shift. We are finally showing our lives on screen, people can relate to these lives and feel good. We have shown a happy middle-class marriage.
Did you always know that Vidya Balan was the actual protagonist in Tumhari Sulu?
I always knew this is a Vidya Balan film. Thank God it is a Vidya Balan film. Thank God, we have an actor like Vidya Balan. It is like watching Sachin Tendulkar batting. It is because of him that others in the team can relax a bit. She is an amazing actor and I am glad we have more and more female-centric films.
You and Vidya look very organic in the film, given the fact that both your and Vidya’s age is close. There is no age parity, which is not a case in Hindi films. We have almost always had a much older male actor romancing a much younger female actor.
It is not only in India that we have a much older male actor paired with a much younger female actor. It is a glamour industry, and it has been happening. I remember reading an interview of Meryl Streep where she said she doesn’t have work. So, it happens everywhere, and I don’t know how the industry can change it, but it is high time it changes. At some point, I think it is also about what people want to see, and it is the way we function as a society, I guess. I think the change has to come from the society where they look out for better entertainment, better performances, and better films.
