Shreyas Talpade starrer highly acclaimed debut Iqbal completes 20 years today. The film, which also starred Naseeruddin Shah and Shweta Basu Prasad and was directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, is still remembered for its heartwarming moments. On the movie’s landmark anniversary, Shreyas looked back at the film in an interview with us.
Shreyas Talpade on 20 years of Iqbal, “A lot of parents have said that they have shown the film to their kids and they’ve loved it”
Shreyas, 20 years of your best known film
Twenty years is a long, long time, but sometimes you wonder where did all this time go, how fast it went. And it sounds clichéd, but it feels like yesterday when I started auditioning and practicing and then shooting for Iqbal, immediately a day after getting married. So, so many fond memories.
People still talk about Iqbal
The fact that Iqbal is fresh, even today… Just to give you an example, yesterday I had gone to pick up my daughter from school and one of the girls who’s probably as old as my daughter – seven, eight years old – she came running up to me and she said, ‘Uncle, I saw your film Iqbal 10 times’. And that for me was quite unbelievable. And I asked her, really? And her mother said, ‘Yes, she loves it so much’. The film remains fresh as ever, even after 20 years with the new generation. And there’ve been a lot of parents who’ve come up to me and said that, you know, we’ve shown your film to our kids and they’ve loved it. And they keep doing that.
Some five years ago, a man came up to me and, ‘When your film released, I was in school. I saw the film. I loved it. And you had come for the show. And I remember meeting you and telling you, you know what, I want to be a doctor. Today I am a doctor.’ So I think these kinds of things that have happened with me, these experiences are completely surreal. They’re quite unbelievable. And I think they just enrich your life so much. You know, these are fond memories, which will always, always stay with me.
How did you bag this plum part so early in your career?
This happened thanks to my friend, Yatin Karyekar, who played my father in the film. He was the one who, you know, suggested me to go and audition for the film as we used to play cricket and do theatre together. And that is what Nagesh was looking for, an actor who can bowl or a bowler who can act. So, and of course, it was technically not too early in my career. I was already 30 by that time. But yeah, I had to play someone who was 18. And it is all thanks to Nagesh and his associate Elahe Heptullah for changing that entire look of mine. To be very honest, I cannot thank Nagesh, Elahe, Rahul Puri and Subhash Ghai sir enough for this opportunity, which completely changed my life.
What was it like working with the stellar cast?
Working with Naseer sir, Girish Karnad sir, Shweta Prasad, Yatin, Prateeksha Lonkar was absolutely fabulous. And all of them, you know, have added so much value to my life, to my performances. I cannot even, you know, begin to tell you because it was an amazing experience (of) working with all of them. Girish sir was so warm and supportive. And so was Naseer sir, you know. Naseer sir is known for his temperament. But with me, I think he helped me so much. I remember him, you know, taking me out for films or dinners. And we were having breakfast together, playing Scrabble, watching films. So, I think it was a wonderful experience working on Iqbal and something, which I can never forget.
Any special memories of the experience?
Right from the audition till the release, everything, I remember every little detail about Iqbal. And it will always remain that special film for me my entire life. So, yes, thank you so much once again to all of you who were so generous enough with their reviews that the film became a blockbuster of sorts, a cult of sorts, and is relevant and fresh even after 20 years. So, congratulations to all of us.
And to answer your last question, what makes it remain fresh even after so many years? I think it’s the underdog story, which all of us love and all of us relate with. You know, it’s the triumph of the underdog, someone who we feel may not be able to do anything in his life, then he achieves something which he has dreamt for all along. I think that is something that all of us inherently have, want to achieve and believe in and aspire for. So, it’s that story of aspiration and inspiration, both, which has been the major factor for its longevity.
Also Read: Shreyas Talpade gets interim relief from arrest in multi-state chit fund scam case
More Pages: Iqbal Box Office Collection
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