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Daddy, and polished baddie

V Gangadhar All the world is a stage
And all men and women merely players.
-- Shakespeare in As You Like It

Satyan Kappu

Veteran character actor Satyan Kappu may not agree with all the bard said, but he can appreciate the metaphor that grabs earth and all matter thereon and scrunches it together onto a 15 x 25 ft platform. For him, the theatre was his world, the footlights his personal, life-giving suns.

Kappu, at 62, is a highly respected film actor. In a career spanning over 30 years, he has acted in 300-400 films -- in Hindi, Rajasthani, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Punjabi, Telugu... Today, he has slowed his pace, but often has about 15 films on hand and shoots on most days.

He is also producing a telefilm and has done pilot projects for television serials. "But," he points out, "I am too busy with films to think about any other work." His drawing room is full of trophies from his various films (silver jubilees, golden jubilees and 100 days). "I'm running out of space now," he grumbles good-naturedly.

Despite the variety of characters he has portrayed, Kappu has always been a restrained actor. As a villain, he exudes menace, but was never the flamboyant nasty clad in outlandish costumes, sporting bizarre wigs and hamming it heartily on screen.

"Overacting," smiles Kappu gently, "never appealed to me. I don't like to shout or jump around. At the same time, you must understand that Hindi films appeal to north Indian audiences who are accustomed to loudness, bombast and overacting. Which is why directors create such roles. Only Bengali and Malayalam cinema call for restraint."

It was then that he made a reference to his relationship with Bombay's Indian People's Theatre Association.

"Perhaps it is my association with the stage which makes my acting rather controlled. When I started out, the mike system was already there and it was not necessary to shout or scream. When I switched over to films, these basics remained with me."

The Bombay-born Kappu lost his parents when he was quite young. He was then packed off to a boarding school in Kurukshetra, Haryana. "It was, in fact, an old-fashioned gurukul where the medium of instruction was Sanskrit," he recalls. The gurukul often staged episodes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Young Kappu was an avid spectator. "It was then that I decided to become an actor."

Returning to Bombay, Kappu packed his books away and joined the theatre. Fortunately, he did not have to work for a living; his brother supported him. There was no objection from the family when Kappu decided to make his future on the stage.

IPTA was ideal training ground for the young hopeful. He did several odd jobs, but his ultimate aim was to prove himself as an actor. And he learnt the nuances of stagecraft from the distinguished company around him, which included the likes of Balraj Sahni, A K Hangal and Kaifi Azmi. Soon, he had important roles in several IPTA productions like Babu Inamdar, Kasturi, Musafir and Ward No 6. "For nearly 18 years, IPTA was my temple," recalled Kappu.

Until 1953. When producer-director Bimal Roy, IPTA's all-India president, learnt of Kappu's acting abilities. Roy offered him a couple of scenes in the Kishore Kumar starrer, Naukri. And was impressed enough with Kappu's performance to repeat him in Bandini and Kabuliwala.

Satyan Kappu with Prem Chopra

Kappu continued with IPTA and the occasional film role. Then, in the late 1960s, he was offered a major character role in Shakti Samanta's Kati Patang, on the recommendation of Rajesh Khanna, the film's hero, who had just done a play for IPTA. Kati Patang, which went on to become a major hit, was followed by the blockbusters Jawani Deewani and Seeta Aur Geeta. And Kappu was in demand.

This meant severing ties with IPTA and the theatre. IPTA was also changing, with several veterans quitting and youngsters taking over. It seemed to be abandoning its Leftist idealism for commercialism. "IPTA did change," admits Kappu. "It had to become commercial to survive, but the old sense of idealism is still there."

Yet, Kappu does not even watch a play anymore. "I can't," he confesses. "I feel sorry I can't act in them any more. The creativity is gone, I am tired and cannot concentrate. After doing so many of these routine commercial films, there is no freshness left." What, then, of Anupam Kher who returned to the stage after nearly 10 years and 200 films? "Anupam is young; his creative juices are still flowing."

Kappu did not face any problems with his switchover to films. In fact, it was easy since it meant plenty of retakes and sufficient rest between scenes. He even enjoyed doing films -- particularly Jawani Deewani, Majboor, Laawaris, Coolie, Mard, Khan Dost, Rocky and Dard Ka Rishta. And he was sought by all the big banners - Manmohan Desai, Prakash Mehra, Ajanta Arts, Subhash Ghai and the rest. "I try not to create problems," he smiles. "I do what is expected of me, I maintain my dignity."

But there are certain kinds of roles that appeal to him. "Basically, I am a very simple man, rooted to the earth. I want to play characters connected with Indian culture. I abhor the kind of western culture portrayed on the Indian screen." Which is why you won't see Kappu playing a gangleader, swirling on the dance floor with a vamp. Kappu doesn't mind lighter roles though. "But they should be meaningful," he clarifies quickly.

But meaning is just what modern films lack, says Kappu. "Five dances, six fights, numerous costume changes, no story, is the sum total of today's films. There's less acting, more action. And what you see on screen never happens in real life," he says in a scathing rejection of Bollywood's professional values.

Sometimes, roles are finalised over the telephone. "The director tells me I am playing Rishi's father and it is a positive, sympathetic character. So where is the time to study the role?" he asks. Heroes zoom from set to studio, doing shift after shift, as they attempt to complete their work.

But the success of Rajshri Productions' Hum Aapke Hain Koun! was like glimmer of hope. "That film reflected our real life," says Kappu. "It offered wholesome entertainment and proved that a film without sex, violence and vulgarity can succeed. It is an ideal family film."

Kappu also spoke highly of Mani Ratnam's Roja. "It dealt cleanly with the subject of terrorism. And it had some beautiful love scenes which were not crude at all."

As far as the attitude of the film industry is concerned, Kappu is refreshingly frank. "Look, I am a senior artiste. If the hero is given a Contessa, I get an Ambassador. If he is put up in a five-star hotel suite, I get a five-star room. I have to accept this. After all, a hero who commands Rs 4 million is entitled to star treatment. I should not grudge him that."

A gentle man in a tough, competitive world, Kappu is clearly at odds with current trends and values. But then, he's still up there, isn't he, playing dad, uncle and even the occasional baddie?