Gopal Singh, who has been part of projects like Company, Ek Hasina Thi, Darna Zaroori Hai & Traffic Signal, feels that nothing can get better for him than portraying Birbal in Jodha Akbar. He talks to SANGEETA YADAV about being associated with one of the top shows on television
How does it feel having bagged Birbal’s role in the most popular daily soap Jodha AkbarIJ
I feel lucky to be a part of Jodha Akbar. Birbal has been my favourite character from the Indian literature and portraying him on the screen is icing on the cake. We have all read and heard stories of Akbar-Birbal and somewhere these stories were at the back of my mind and are helping me play Birbal more convincingly.
How did tackle the dialect and look of BirbalIJ
The dialect is pure Hindi so I didn’t had to work on it much. Apart from wearing a mustache and churidar-kurta, there wasn’t much when it came to looks.
What do you think of Birbal as a personIJ
Birbal was very clever and had the ability to convince people easily because what he said was true. There was satire but it had a message as well. Birbal has been introduced in the show as Mahesh Das Bhatt. It was only when Akbar gets impressed by his intelligence that he gave him the title of Birbal.
How is to work with Paridhi Sharma and Rajat TokasIJ
It has only been 10 days since I began shooting for this show and from day one I have got along with everyone. Paridhi and Rajat have become good friends. During off shoots, Rajat and I spend a lot of time together chatting till late night.
Why did it take so long to introduce BirbalIJ
There was a public demand to see Birbal in Jodha Akbar. The makers didn’t want to introduce Birbal just like that. After much discussion and negotiation, a plot was created to introduce his character in the show. But even with Birbal’s entry, the focus will still be on Jodha-Akbar’s personal life. Birbal is there to spice up the plot.
You work in Bollywood too. Tell us about that.
I’m playing a crime branch officer in Sriram Raghavan’s Badlapur and a Naxalite chief in Vivek Agnihotri’s Buddha In A Traffic Jam. This week two of my films have released — 3AM where I’ve played Khan bhai, a narrator. My second film Desi Kattey, had a good full-fledge role but later it got cut into a cameo.
Why is it that a meaty role gets cut down to a cameo in moviesIJ
This is the most irritating and sad part of the film industry. When you get a role, you read the script, visualise your role and see if you can do justice to the character. Then you sign the film. But when your role cuts into a few minutes appearance, it is disappointing. Had it been presented to me like a cameo initially, I would have decided accordingly — to accept or reject the part.
You’ve mostly seen playing negative roles. WhyIJ
I want to be known as one of the best villains of Bollywood. To reach that goal, I need to play every shade of grey that I am offered.