Riteish Deshmukh is one of the more amiable stars in the industry with a lot of goodwill. Though his films like ‘Great Grand Mastii’ have not fared too well in the box-office , his forthcoming musical film ‘Banjo’ is creating a lot of buzz in the industry. We got talking to him about the most ambitious role of his career and this is what he told us.
There is a lot of buzz about ‘Banjo’ in the industry.
Yes. And I hope for my friend, director Ravi Jadhav who is making his debut in the Hindi film industry after a successful stint in the Marathi film industry with hit films like ‘Natarang’, ‘Balak Palak’, and the Time Pass franchise, that the film clicks at the box office. I too am banking on this film a great deal, as it is one of the most important films of my career.
What is your role in the film?
I play a street musician band player who plays the banjo and is known as the banjo and is known as Tharat and who is a very pride conscious musician. He is a very good banjo player and musician, who traverses the seven seas to make it as an international musician.
Did you have to work on your role?
I discussed my role at length with Ravi and my writers and I grew my hair out for my role along with a dazzling attire and the lingo of a street musician who speaks Hindi as it is spoken on the streets with a lot of slang and cuss words.
Tell us something about the music in the film.
The music is absolutely freaked out! It has been composed by my favorite composers Vishal Shekhar for whom this music score must be easily one of the best music scores of their illustrious careers.
How was it like working with your co-star Nargis Fakhri?
Nargis is one of the nicest stars to work with though she can’t speak Marathi for nuts (laughs) But yes, Ravi and me are tutoring her and she is slowly getting the nuances of Marathi and Hindi though she speaks with an anglicized accent. This accent it suits the character in the film who is a music agent based in New York who understands the talent of Banjo and gives him a big break in the music industry against the wishes of her boss played by Mohan Kapur.
There are a lot of comparisons drawn between Banjo and Rockstar?
Both are completely different films and it’s unfair to compare Ranbir Kapoor role with mine in Banjo.
Are you musically inclined?
Yes. I am. I have learnt the Hawaain guitar and want to learn more instruments.
Which are your forthcoming films?
Bank Chor, and Marathi film Mauli.