Look closely, there's Riteish Deshmukh, a successful second lead, comic actor, architect, and son of a former CM in that order. He is also the nicest guy in the film industry who, surprisingly, doesn't throw his lineage around. He didn't even do it when his dad was in office. Sunday MiD DAY profiles Mr Congeniality
Look closely, there's Riteish Deshmukh, a successful second lead, comic actor, architect, and son of a former CM in that order. He is also the nicest guy in the film industry who, surprisingly, doesn't throw his lineage around. He didn't even do it when his dad was in office. Sunday MiD DAY profiles Mr Congeniality
IN the movie world that Riteish cohabits, there is an image of the neta's son. He's the big college bully, he stalks the hero's sister and when he is pulled up (by the collar of his flashy shirt), he splutters, "Tum jaante ho ki mera baap kaun hai?"
Riteish is not that politician's son. In fact, somewhere along the way, he dropped the famous surname and appeared on the movie credits without the Deshmukh.
While the industry may gush, there have been outsider stories on Riteish. About how someone collided with him at a noisy cricket match, and was taken aback at how this actor just smiled, put his head down and walked past him. And how, on the sets of one film, he sat quietly in a corner, never raising his voice above murmur-level, even though his star friend blabbered constantly and ebulliently to anyone with an ear. Riteish is a 'blender' into the background he deflects attention carefully so people don't say, "Just because he's the chief minister's son, he thinks he can get away with it."
The 26/11 incident
But that image tilted after 26/11. Hours after Mumbai waged a protracted battle against a terrorist ambush, Riteish found himself in the center of an unholy amount of attention for 'terror tourism' with filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma. Three days later, his father Vilasrao Deshmukh stepped down from the chief minister's chair. The decision had little to do with the controversy, yet Riteish had trouble emerging from that storm.
It's been five months since. "Thankfully, not a single person has asked me why I went with my father that day. It was a disturbing time; it was on every channel, on and on. I just wanted to shut it out. I wanted the day to end," remembers Riteish today, of those videos played on loop, his face circled accusingly with that of Varma.
The director brushes it off as an event that the media blew out of proportion. Was it awkward meeting Riteish just after it happened? "No, not for me. But I'm a pretty shameless guy!" says Varma.
Riteish too says he didn't go into a shell. He waited till the shouting died down to give his own version. People around him say the actor was completely composed, looking least like someone in the thick of a hullabaloo. Weighing his words now, he says, "My only regret is for those people who suffered the attack, if they felt bad at my presence. My intention was not to hurt. If I had thought it would become such an issue for a split-second, I would have avoided it."
After-life
However much Riteish may play it down, life has changed in the last five months. For an interview in 2007, ahead of Anubhav Sinha's god-awful Cash, we were ushered into a sprawling waiting area at Varsha, the Chief Minister's residence. Our handbag and photo paraphernalia were screened in x-ray machines and we were seated at the expansive lawn behind the bungalow. But all this security was for the chief minister; Riteish himself has been spotted casually meeting up with people at a burger joint at a Parel mall.
This interview is held at a Juhu dubbing studio and outside, there are the safari-suited security that accompany most actors. "Surprisingly, I never had security before," Riteish emphasizes, "but after my father resigned, I've had to keep some." Why, we ask? Riteish smiles awkwardly and says, "Next question", fobbing off just this one query in the entire interview.
Other things have changed he now lives at a more anonymous address. His home is at his parents' apartment in Worli, rumoured to be swankier than the rather old-fashioned Varsha. "We always knew we didn't own Varsha; it was a government residence," shrugs Riteish, referring to Deshmukh being reinstated in 2004. "I know there is a theory on how I'm expected to behave, but my behaviour has stayed the same when my father was chief minister or not. The two may be separate worlds, but my life stays the same."
A certain dignity
The industry in which Riteish has forged a career vouches for this. "When I first met him, I thought him a decent human being," says Sujoy Ghosh, who has cast Riteish as his Aladin. "It's not that I was expecting him to behave hoity-toity because he's the chief minister's son, but Riteish was so normal. He's been brought up very well. After all, he could easily have turned out something else."
Varma, with whom Riteish has done four films (including the recent Rann), says, "I first met him a month or so before his first film Tujhe Meri Kasam and I was struck by how serious he was in comparison to the romantic role he was playing. Riteish has a strength of character and dignity; I carried that image with me and that's why I thought of him in Rann." Adds director/writer Milap Zaveri, "Riteish is a gentleman on the sets."u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
Even though he's turned 30, his directors concur on two things u2014 Riteish has always been mature beyond his years and he's hugely hardworking. It's paying off. Riteish has four films in 2009; Do Knot Disturb (David Dhawan), Aladin, Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai (Milap Zaveri) and Rann. He also begins shooting for Sajid Khan's riotous comedy Housefull this year. Says trade analyst Taran Adarsh, "Riteish has tremendous potential and he's evolved into a fine actor. He's only grown since his first film. There are only Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan who rule the box office, but Riteish in a film with two heroes is seen as a dependable guy."u00a0u00a0
Riteish himself remembers those days when his acting was torn apart. "Piece of furniture, teakwood, non-actor," says Riteish, the words used to describe him. "I've worked so hard to change those same opinions." The actor confesses that for the first three years, he didn't feel he was a part of the industry. Ironically, today Riteish isn't a part of industry 'politics'. He's friends with almost everyone in a world full of camps.u00a0 Riteish puts it down to the fact that he relates to industry folk as persons, not work opportunities. Being the chief minister's son surely made things easier? "I'd be delusional if I thought that people didn't speak to me initially because of my father. He is a respected figure. But my friends are from the younger generation and I got my first three hits during the time my father wasn't CM."u00a0
Private life, no entry
Unsurprisingly, Riteish has been in the running for the last couple of years for the film industry's Mr Nice Guy. It's difficult to dig up dirt, except old controversies like the Fire N Ice nightclub episode four years ago where Aftab Shivdasani's name was dragged into a brawl and Riteish was reportedly called on for help. The story went that Riteish used his political clout to shut the nightclub down.u00a0
Today though, the maximum you'll hear is that Riteish gets irritable when he's kept waiting for a shot to fall in place. "I don't lose my temper unless a person does the same thing to me the fifth or sixth time," says Riteish, asked if he has a temper.
The other rumour he's been able to shake off is over his love life. There's been speculation about his sexuality because Riteish is so guarded about his privacy. But many feel this is a front for his longtime commitment to his Tujhe Meri Kasam and Masti co-star Genelia D'Souza. Neighbours say that Riteish's white Mercedes is often parked outside Genelia's Bandra apartment, usually on Sundays.
A resigned look on his face, Riteish comments, "We did our first two films together; obviously we're in touch! She's a wonderful girl. But the thing is that the media can fabricate any story (like Genelia only wants to do films with Riteish now) and at least one party has to deny it. Even if I start seeing someone, it's a personal matter. I'm exposed enough as it is. I feel naked if I discuss something like this."u00a0
Shy guy
Riteish says he used to be shy, but being in front of the camera opened him up. While growing up, Amitabh Bachchan was his icon, but Riteish's face lights up when he talks of his love for Mithun Chakraborty films.
"Gunmaster, Disco Dancer... then when Jeetuji's (Jeetendra) Tohfa and Mawaali came out, I just loved those songs."
Despite a love for movies, Riteish studied architecture and says he stumbled into films. "I did a photo shoot after Tujhe Meri Kasam's first schedule was over," he admits. The film had its biggest success in Riteish's hometown Latur, where it has 'released' five times. He's the big hero of the small town and his childhood cricket friends there feel as if they're acting when he is. "When I played a woman (in Apna Sapna Money Money), some of them in Latur even wanted to marry me!" he deadpans.
'Mad fun'
Despite his reserve, Riteish has a straight-faced sense of humour. A co-worker says that he cracked a naughty joke during a heavy-duty emotional scene, but once the cameras came on, he turned into the intense Riteish. On his 30th birthday, Milap gifted him with an official contract, binding Riteish to him for the rest of his films. Milap says, "Riteish asked me, 'Is this your idea of a present?' He's mad fun to work with. He adds these lovely impromptu lines to takes. Once it's done, he runs across the room because he knows I'm going to chase him down to hug him!"
Between takes, Riteish drags anyone interested to play chess with him, from assistant directors to lightmen.
Still a practising architect, he's now designing the dream apartment for a close friend and says he's fascinated by art. "He's a collector even though his art includes weird photos of blue frogs. He worries me," jokes Sujoy. Riteish says his current fad is TV series he's just got into Tudors, but loves Gossip Girl, Brothers & Sisters and Grey's Anatomy.
Turns out, Riteish is as regular guy as it gets, despite the family, despite the political baggage. And, as it plays out, despite being a movie star.
'I met Ritesh through his father...'
Amitabh Bachchan, who plays the genie to Riteish's Aladin, tells Sunday MiD DAY his experiences of working with the actor
Riteish tells us that Aladin is a dream project for him he gets to rub a magic lamp and Mr Bachchan comes out as his genie. Please tell us your experiences of working so closely with him on this unusual film.
Ritesh is a delight to have on set. He is dedicated and prepared and a great joy as a colleague.
What was your first impression of Riteish when you met him? Was it on the sets of your story in Darna Zaroori Hai?
No, I met Ritesh through his father, who was then Chief Minister of Maharashtra. I had gone for some work to his residence. Thereafter, when he joined films, he and Abhishek hung around together and are close friends. I met him often with Abhishek.
You have also done Rann with Riteish recently. Please give us your perspective of what he brings as an actor to the table.
As I said earlier, he is a dedicated and well-prepared actor. It is wonderful to see him attempting different roles. It will help him grow as an actor.
He was also on the Unforgettable world tour with you what are your impressions of him as a performer? Are there any anecdotes from that time?
Ritesh is a team player, a member of the group and like family when he works with you. On the tour, he was just that.
How would you describe him as a person?
A well brought up, young man. Respectful, reserved and quiet. There is something very neat, clean and organised about him and the way he conducts his life. He has one major defect though. He keeps surprising you with gifts even when there is no occasion for it. Abhishek tells me he is like that with most others; a most endearing quality.
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