Chirag Paswan, son of Lok Janshakti Party supremo, Ram Vilas Paswan, is riding two boats. While a beautiful political career beckons him home, he is hell-bent upon making it big in Bollywood.
He is working extremely hard on a large scale film and desires to debut not with a bang but a whimper.
Nonetheless, he has recently made extensive canvassing for RJD-LJP alliance in the ongoing Bihar polls. He talks to Alok K N Mishra about the future of LJP, his dual role, his father, and obviously his romantic film among others. Excerpts:
1) You are one of the largest crowd pullers in LJP. It’s time you should be stumping for RJD-LJP alliance. Why have you returned to Mumbai so soon?
Actually I am more interested to awaken the electorate in Bihar but there were some urgent commitments in Bollywood. Shooting of my debut film is in its last phase.
2) Tell me about your debut film?
It’s based upon an extraordinary romantic love story. The film is being produced by Maverick Productions. I am in the lead role as Chirag Mehra. The lead actress is Kangana Ranaut. It’s being directed by Tanveer Khan. The name of the film will be decided in December and it will be released in February 2011.
3) Do children of heavyweights enjoy some edge in Bollywood?
See, truth is truth. If you share a heavyweight’s name as your surname people become friendly and things trouble-free. You are listened in a place where nobody is ready to hear.
But at the end of the day it’s your quality that leads you up. Ravi Kishan had no legacy but on the basis of his talent he has made it big.
4) Biharis are a harried lot in Mumbai, slighted and abused wherever they go. Does the same discrimination accord people from Bihar in Bollywood?
It is a good question. Though it does not happen in Bollywood, I see the pains of migrant Biharis across Mumbai. They are made fun of and laughed at. This situation not only kills their self-esteem but also robs them of ambition and enthusiasm to do something new and achieve new heights. This is why children of most of the Bihari migrants ultimately take up their parents’ jobs.
5) Where does the blame lay? Do you have a plan to make the wheel come full circle?
I want to ask you a supplementary question before I answer. Have you ever seen a Mumbaiwala or a Delhiwala wandering for manual work in Bihar ? It is because they don’t have empty hands; thanks to their respective governments. The Nitish government has totally failed to provide jobs to empty hands.
If people repose faith in the RJD-LJP combine this time, I will make personal efforts to improve the situation.
6) Opinion polls conducted by different agencies prophesy that RJD-LJP combine will face setbacks.
The government is not formed on figures but on foundations. An unprecedented number of people are coming out to vote this time. And if history is any guide, heavy turnout has always led to change of guard. The present equation is going to change and RJD-LJP alliance to form Bihar government.
7) You are interested in Bollywood because you love it. Why are you interested in politics?
I haven’t experienced poverty but I have seen my young brethrens braving blows for bread and butter in Mumbai. It is only because of it that I am interested in politics. I want to revive political awareness among the youths of Bihar so that they demand their rights from their government and also choose the right person to lead them.
8) Nitishji claims that he has brought in development and ‘sushashan’ (good governance). What’s your take?
Nitishji is cheating people. Calling the present state of affairs in Bihar , be it in terms of infrastructure or law and order, development and sushashan is like cheating innocent people.
When I speak to people in villages they say they get electricity for only one or two hours. It is what he (Nitish) calls development? Once I wanted to do some shopping in the evening but after I went out I found all shops closed just by 7:30 pm. When I talked to people they told me shopkeepers shutter down early out of fear of goons. It is what he calls law and order improvement?
9) Two things you would like to do when RJD-LJP forms government in Bihar .
First, I will like to provide employment to maximum possible number of unemployed people. And second, I will like to improve education right from primary to higher education.
10) You are riding two boats. What’s your aim?
People are bound to say I am riding two boats if I pursue two careers simultaneously. They would be saying I am riding a running boat if I had entered politics and contested elections straight out of college.
To avoid the latter I took up acting first. I want to earn my own name. I will be doing both things as far as I am able to balance. However I am ready to contest polls whenever the party wants me to.
10) What is your academic profile? Have you done some acting course?
I am a computer engineer. I did my B-tech in computer science from Amity University , Delhi
8) Do you have a girl friend?
(Gives a loud laugh) No. Not yet.
9) You are 27. What about your marriage?
I am not thinking about. It’s my parents’ baby.
14) One thing people don’t know about your father.
He is a master ludo (board game) player. He manages to steal time to spend with family members and play ludo. He defeats me most of the times in ludo.
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