I’m not a born rebel: Amol Palekar

Mumbai: Veteran actor-director Amol Palekar said he isn’t a ‘born rebel’ but someone who feels compelled to speak out on what he perceives as right.

In recent years, Palekar has voiced strong opinions on both cultural and political matters, be it emphasising the importance of artistic freedom or criticising the Ministry of Culture for its decision to dissolve advisory committees at the ‘National Gallery of Modern Art’ (NGMA) in Mumbai and Bengaluru. He has also called out films like ‘The Kashmir Files’ and ‘The Kerala Story’ as propaganda.

“I’m not a rebel, certainly not a born rebel. I never fought with anyone. Being a rebel and protester... it all evolved somewhere. I just wanted to be true to myself. Whatever I felt, I wanted to stand by that,” said the actor, known for his portrayal of the common man in films like ‘Chhoti Si Baat’, ‘Rajnigandha’ and ‘Chitchor’.

He was speaking at the launch event of his memoir on Saturday night. The book, titled ‘Viewfinder’ in English and ‘Aiwaz’ in Marathi, was unveiled in the presence of filmmaker Govind Nihalani and actor Nana Patekar. The book reflects on Palekar’s artistic journey as a painter in Mumbai, his foray into theatre under the mentorship of Satyadev Dubey and his career as an actor and director. It also delves into the highs and the lows, his successful collaboration with filmmakers Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee and his friendship with Amjad Khan, among other things.