A reluctant actor but love to act: Atul Tiwari

A self-proclaimed accidental and reluctant actor, Atul Tiwari is enjoying his longer version of an acting stint in films and the web. Seen in a cameo in Scam-1992 and Maharani in an important role, the Lucknowite is happy dabbling in acting beside his writing and other endeavours.

“I call myself a reluctant actor because I am not seeking roles, but I love to do roles and get them. I don’t network for acting work as I have enough in my writing, music-making, theatre and other endeavours,” says the thespian on his visit to Varanasi en route to his hometown.

An alumnus of the National School of Drama (NSD), says, “I was pursuing direction and writing, where acting was just a part of it. I did succeed somewhat in writing but film direction, I did not pursue vigorously, or I was lazy. Acting is something I have not discovered until my younger days in Lucknow when I was doing plays with legendary Raj Bisaria Saheb. So, it feels nice when you get work and it’s appreciated.”

But, in the same view, he is not seeking credits for his acting. “I am very clear that film is writers and director’s medium where one makes the base and other builds the structure. It’s a collaborative medium so actors do contribute but it’s limited to adding texture and colours to the building. That’s what I feel!”

“Working with people like Hansal Mehta (Scam), Rajkumar Hirani (PK and 3 Idiots), Priyadarshan, Kamla Haasan (Vishwaroopam) and Shyam Benegal is a pleasure. I have been lucky that even if I have done one scene, all of them were an important part of the stories. You feel blessed when you have such lovely makers like Subhash Kapoor, director Karan Sharma and co-writers Kapoor and Nandan Singh show faith in you.”

He was seen in full-length roles in Priyadarshan’s film Aakrosh as an antagonist and South Indian film Kaapaan pitched against Mohanlal. “It was sukhaad (happy feeling) that someone had faith in you and when the role is bigger then it’s all the more delightful.”

His next work as co-writer is Sheikh Muzibur Rahman’s (first president of Bangladesh) biopic Bangabandhu directed by Shyam Benegal. “The film is yet to complete. Besides, theatre is in bad shape but my work on a couple of very good projects on museums is happening — nationally and internationally,” he says.