Hiten Paintal, happens to be a chip of the old block namely the erstwhile comedian Paintal who needs no special introduction. Hiten had begun his career simultaneously both on the big screen as well as the small screen. But at one point of time he gave up television completely to get a firm footing on the big screen. Present herewith is a telephonic interaction with an actor par excellence. Tune in.
How would you describe your filmic journey
on the big screen as well as the small screen in a nutshell?
My journey on both the front has been interesting, with a lot of ups & downs and no doubt mixed with a few disappointments. But all said & done I don’t regret anything and if I had to go through it again I wouldn’t change a thing.
So What is your upcoming film 30 Minutes all about?
The film is about a young boy whose father has tortured him all his childhood due to the value of time and when he grows up he has a good job & falls in love. And then an incident happens in his life where he comes on the brink of sanity & insanity and then he plays a game called “30 Minutes”. Hence the title.
What did you enjoy most, working on the big screen or the small screen?
Actually speaking I have enjoyed working in both the mediums. But working on the small screen gives you an opportunity to get connected with some of the most amazing shows even otherwise television and television stars have a far greater reach but still I feel that at some point of time television stops giving you creative satisfaction and you tend to get stagnated by its daily routine. So honesty speaking I prefer working more on big screen.
How would you rate your father Paintal as an actor and as a human being?
I consider my father a great, great actor. He is one of the best actor that we have today and I would rate him 10 on 10 as far as his acting goes. He has been working as an actor for more than 4 and a half decade. Besides I would say that is a wonderful human being, extremely loving and compassionate. So as a human being I would rate him 11 on 10 as for me he is a great, great father.
What did you learn or unlearn from your father Paintal?
Truly speaking I have learned a lot from my father in fact I have gained a lot from him. One thing I have noticed is that he was very punctual, hard working & very down to earth person as far as his work was concerned and when I became an actor he always told me to be always true to my work. Never compromise or cheat my work and always worship and treat my work like a temple. So you see I have always learned good things from him and never unlearned anything from him.
Amongst all the work you have done till date which are your favorites?
One of my all time favorite film is Bachna Ae Haseenon. Believe me it was mad, mad, mad laughriot. Its director. Siddarth Anand was my school friend, I had a special connect with Ranbir Kapoor as my father Paintal and his father Rishi Kapoor too were great friends. So we 3 boys that is myself, Siddharth & Ranbir were always on the sets and after work we used to indulge in a lot of fun & frolic on the sets while the girls used to leave once they had finished their work. So Bachana Ae Haseenon will always remain a special & memorable for me.
How was the experience of working with your father in 30 Minutes?
It was a super experience working with him. Besides we were playing father and son in the film which we are in real life. We were supposed to shoot for 20 days but we could wrap up our work in 12 days. It was easy &
comfortable being with him on the sets. He would correct me, point out my flaws if any and even guide me properly.
You are playing a lead role in 30 Minutes. So what are your expectations from the film?
Yes this is my 1st lead role as I think that till now the industry was scared to give me a lead role probably thinking that “Comedian ka beta hai, toh comedy hi karega” So my expectations from the film have increased far beyond. I think it is should do well for everyone involved in the film specially for my producer Yesudas. I wish that people should just go and watch the film and then decide.
As a parting shot tell us something about your producer & director Yesudas?
Mr. Yesudas who is my producer & director for 30 minutes is an extremely great human being. I have been associated with him for almost 3 years. We took one and a half year for scripting and another one and a half year for shooting. So I think he is a wonderful, wonderful man and he has the cutest smile in the industry. He was very focussed about what he wanted and how he wanted? I thank him for putting his faith & belief in me and I hope I have lived up to his expectations.
