BHUBANESWAR: “Fail once, then truly pass,” this is the motto Raghubir Yadav lives by. The acclaimed actor, singer and composer wears many a hats on the professional front and equally versatile is his personality.
Gracing the 13th edition of the Odisha Literary Festival on Saturday, the 68-year-old actor shed light on his journey across theatre, cinema and music, as he spoke on ‘Singer, Actor, Storyteller: One Life, Many Texts’.
In conversation with senior journalist Kaveree Bamzai, Raghubir stated that it was failure that pushed him to the world of entertainment. “I had just written my Class XI exams and knew I would fail. Out of shame, I left home. I was barely 15 at that time. However, failing and leaving home proved to be a blessing in disguise. I always tell people, fail at least once in life. Success doesn’t teach you as much as failure does,” he said.
The National School of Drama (NSD) alumnus further said that music has been a part of his life ever since he was a toddler. He has composed and lent his voice to the title song of the series Chacha Chaudhary and ads by Pepsi, Maggi and 8 PM. “Eventually theatre happened and it has taught me everything,” he said.
Asked about his debut movie Masey Sahib (1986) opposite Arundhati Roy, Raghubir said he believed the film was written for him. “Working on the movie helped me learn that one cannot lie in cinema. In theatre, there is scope of exaggeration but in cinema the camera catches you immediately,” he said adding, it has helped him learn to act with complete honesty.
“I like to call it drowning. If you drown in your role, in music, in work; you reach deeper,” he noted. Over the years, the actor has gained a rich body of work by playing iconic roles in movies like Salaam Bombay to Lagaan and series like Mungerilal Ke Haseen Sapne and Chacha Chaudhary. He has also won the Filmfare Award for his role in the web-series Panchayat.
Questioned what stayed constant with him all through his journey, the actor was quick to reply, it was simplicity. “When one performs with simplicity, it touches the audience. A master once advised me to find my own voice. Since then I have been performing with utmost honesty and truth,” he added. He ended the session with the song Mehngai Dayain from the movie Peepli Live, a witty take on the struggles of common man amidst soaring prices of essentials.