Mumbai: Rajesh Balwani is set to portray Ratan Kaka in Yash Patnaik and Mamta Patnaik’s Kyunki Papa Kehte Hain, produced by Inspire Films. While Ratan Kaka is a strongly opinionated and materialistic character, Rajesh reveals that playing him also made him reflect on his own relationship with his father and his approach towards his son.
The actor says his father unknowingly helped him understand different sides of Ratan Kaka. “After shooting for Kyunki Papa Kehte Hain, I have a lot of times remembered my equation with my father. My father was kind of a balance between Ratan Kaka and Anmol Bhai,” Rajesh shares.
Coming from a business family, Rajesh initially followed a more conventional career path. “I’m the first actor in my family. There have been no actors. My family is from a business community, Sindhi, so we were always for business. In fact, I did my MBA in marketing, worked one year for Lintas and then joined my dad’s business. I did not like it. I did theatre and then got into acting,” he recalls.
His father wanted him to pursue business, but eventually allowed him to choose acting. Rajesh sees both sides of that relationship reflected in the show. “My dad always wanted me to be in business earlier. So that is where the Ratan Kaka side comes out. Although he was not dominating like Ratan Kaka. But when I decided to become an actor, he let me be an actor. That’s the Anmol Bhai side of him,” he explains.
Interestingly, Rajesh also finds a little bit of Ratan Kaka in his own relationship with his son. “Since I’m a father myself and I have a son, the way Ratan Kaka is too dominating and pushing him, I am more on that side. I think there is a bit of Ratan Kaka in me, in terms of pushing my son and wanting the best for him,” he says.
For Rajesh, these personal experiences have helped him understand the character beyond his outward behaviour and bring greater authenticity to Ratan Kaka.
