Veteran actor Paresh Rawal recently opened up about the National Awards in an interview with The Lallantop, claiming that the awards are influenced by corruption and lobbying. He shared an instance from the past when his films Sir (1993) and Sardar (1993) were in the running for the prestigious honour, and he was made aware of lobbying efforts by a sitting Member of Parliament in Delhi.
Known for his powerful performances in both Hindi films and theatre, Rawal referred to the National Awards as 'a game' but expressed his respect for them. "I respect two awards from the bottom of my heart, and I've received both of them – the Dinanath Mangeshkar Award and the PL Deshpande Award. For other awards, I wouldn't even step out of my house. I respect the one who is giving the award, but I accept all others as mere acknowledgements for me and my team," Rawal explained.
The actor went on to discuss the politics surrounding the National Awards, describing how lobbying plays a significant role in the selection process. "I didn't receive the award during Modi ji's government, I got it in 2013. It's a government award, and I respect it. But sometimes, technicalities like a film not being submitted properly cause issues. It’s all part of the game. Lobbying does happen, and it's done aggressively. If lobbying happens at the Oscars, why wouldn’t it happen here?" Rawal said.
He also spoke about the value he places on kind words from industry legends like Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri. "For me, the real award is when Naseer bhai calls me after watching Mumbai Meri Jaan and says, 'Well done, Paresh, what a performance.'
That fills my heart. When Om Puri sahab says, 'What brilliant work you’ve done,' that’s my true reward," Rawal shared.
In the interview, Rawal also opened up about feeling 'suffocated' by his iconic character from Hera Pheri and shared a personal story about healing from a knee injury. He recalled how, in a moment of desperation, he followed advice from action director Veeru Devgn to drink his own urine as a remedy to speed up the healing process.
Looking ahead, Rawal is excited about his upcoming projects, including Welcome to the Jungle, Thama, and Hera Pheri 3, which are set to release later this year.