Saurabh Shukla Recalls 'Gruesome, Gory' Debut Film Bandit Queen'; How Shekhar Kapur Found 'Humour Even In Darkness'

Veteran actor Saurabh Shukla, who recently returned to play his fan-favourite character Justice Sunderlal Tripathi in Jolly LLB 3, has a body of work that not many actors can boast of. With remarkable

movies, TV shows and projects to back his extraordinary work, Shukla continues to remain an inspiration even after three decades of making his acting debut in Shekhar Kapur's classic Bandit Queen in 1994.Looking back at the collaboration with Kapur, which still remains a high point of his body of work, Shukla said in an interview ANI, "Shekhar was the first film director I worked with, and I was an avid fan of his films, Mr India, Masoom, and the third was Bandit Queen. When I met him, he was a big man for all of us. He and cinematographer Ashok Mehta. He (Shekhar Kapur) taught me a lot, both technically and emotionally."For Shukla, Bandit Queen was a profound learning experience that taught him the importance of discovering humour even in the darkest stories. The 62-year-old actor played the role of Kailash. He had some crucial scenes with lead actress Seema Biswas who played the protagonist.

Finding humour in dark plots

He shared how despite being a shockingly gruesome film, Kapur made sure there was streaks of humour. "It was a gruesome, gory film, but Shekhar used to search for humour in that. There was a scene we shot, 'jo edit ho gaya aur film mein aaya nahi' (which did not make it to the final cut)...So there was a robbery sequence in the village. People were running here and there in panic... There was a liquor shop where two dacoits were throwing bottles, and a villager watching them said, 'Itni nikal rahe, ek aad hume bhi dedo' (You're taking out so many, give us one too). Even in that darkness, Shekhar found a funny, human moment," Shukla said.This was a huge lesson for him in the early stage as an actor. "In that film, in the company of Shekhar, I understood that without humour, it's half, not a complete picture. That's something I still follow," he added.ALSO READ: Saurabh Shukla Reveals Amrish Puri Charged Re 1 More Than Heroes In His Time: He Was Such A Big Star But...

Shekhar Kapur's command over local dialects

According to him, Kapur had the talent to capture local dialects and emotions authentically, ecen if they did not presonally belonged to the regions. "Shekhar ko language nahi aati thi..haan, Hindi aati hai unhe.. his Hindi was that of South Delhi, but he understood rhythm. I've seen him often close his eyes during a shot, just listening to the rhythm of the dialogue. That rhythm, that sound is instinctive..." Shukla recalled.The 1994 biographical action-adventure film was based on the life of Phoolan Devi, as detailed in the book India's Bandit Queen: The True Story of Phoolan Devi by Mala Sen.