Rajesh Tailang reunites with Richie Mehta after two decades for Phoolan

Richie Mehta and Rajesh Tailang

Five projects over 20 years mean that Rajesh Tailang and filmmaker Richie Mehta have gone beyond their professional collaboration to form a deeper bond. The actor, who starred in Mehta's acclaimed series Delhi Crime (2019), has reunited with the director on Phoolan. The action drama about dacoit-turned-politician Phoolan Devi premièred at the Toronto International Film Festival this week.

Opening up about working with Mehta, Tailang said, "I have a guest appearance in Phoolan. Richie and I have been working together for the past 20 years, right from his first film. I have been in every project of his, barring one. Richie wanted me to be a part of Phoolan, as did I. The way he has narrated this story, it will be very interesting to watch."

The poster of ‘Phoolan'. Pics/Instagram

Before Phoolan arrives in India, Tailang will be seen in the second season of his family comedy, Bakaiti. The actor is always looking for vulnerability in characters, and the Zee 5 series gives him just that. "My character is living a double life. Ultimately, he will step down from the role of the family's patriarch and become vulnerable. For me, vulnerability is the most attractive aspect in a character. If I don't see that [on paper], I try to find it [while playing] because when you only show the strengths, the character doesn't feel human."

What's ‘Phoolan' about?

Starring Sneha Kumari in the titular role, the film explores a turbulent 48-hour period in the life of Phoolan Devi, drawing from her autobiography, ‘I, Phoolan Devi: The Autobiography of India's Bandit Queen'