‘Karna is and will always be one of my favourite characters’

‘Karna is and will always be one of my favourite characters’

Mythological drama and theatrical performances have always found an audience. A new play Rashmirathi, which shows the Mahabharat in a musical way, is premiering in Mumbai today, which has television and Bollywood actor Imran Khan essaying the central character Karna. 
 
It’s based on one of Ramdhari Singh Dinkar’s finest pieces of writing, a poem which shows the injustice Karna had faced in the Mahabharat through a poetic conversation between the character and Krishna. The play, which will be performed in Hindi and Sanskrit, depicts the heroics of Karna. “We are narrating the stories in form of songs,” says Imran who is currently seen in Star Plus’ Divya Dhristi. “There are various sequences in the play including war, Karna’s conversations with Arjun and Lord Krishna, his mother Kunti and others,” says the actor.
   
Directed by Mujeeb Khan, the play will be staged at Marathi Bhasha Bhavan, Mumbai University, Kalina, to pay tribute to Dinkar, one of the greatest Hindi writers, on his 45th death anniversary (April 24). 
Imran says that it was a challenge for him to play the character. “My language is Urdu and expressing myself in Sanskrit was a challenge, but we have rehearsed for almost two months,” he says, adding, “Also, culturally it was such a contrast for me because I am Muslim. So playing the character from the Mahabharat with conviction was difficult but that’s beauty of being an actor. It can only happen in a beautiful country like India where a Pathan can play the role of Karna.”

He shares that Rashmirathi was also demanding because the story is such classic. “Veteran actors like Shashi Kapoor have enacted the character when the same story was adapted on the big screen but in a modern format. The poem has been performed on stage by legendary actors like Ashutosh Rana and Manoj Bajpai from National School of Drama and members from various other theatre groups,” says the actor who has been part of television shows like Tara, Naagin, Beyhadh and others. “But while playing the character, it was my own interpretation and I haven’t followed any actor in particular,” he explains.
   
Like everybody else Imran too knows about the Mahabharat and he has always loved the character of Karna. “He is like a Hindi film hero because he is the underdog or any person who rises above the ordinary. If you look at films like Gully Boy, these characters are inspired from him. He has been wronged all through his life, right from his birth to death. Even during the war, he was wronged. Karna is and will always be one of my favourite characters,” he says. 

Imran who has worked in big films like The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Big Brother, Dil Toh Bacha Hai Ji, Heroine and others, says that playing this character was part of his to-do list. “I am so happy that I am playing this character because though I am not that young anymore, I will be bare-chested for the war scenes.”

Imran, who has been doing theatre for many years now, says that he likes working across different genres. “I have done lot of comedy. I am working on a satire and lot of more serious subjects now. I am working on stories like Manto, and stories by Rabindranath Tagore, Munshi Premchand and others. It’s like coming out of my comfort zone,” he says before signing off.

ST Reader Service:
Rashmirathi will be staged at Marathi Bhasha Bhavan, Mumbai University, Kalina, on April 24, 6 pm onwards.

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