'Mithya,' 'Fatso!': Revisit Rajat Kapoor's notable directorials on his birthday
Actor-director-screenwriter Rajat Kapoor has made a splash in Hindi cinema with his acting excellence in projects such as Monsoon Wedding, Bheja Fry, Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na, and the Drishyam franchise. Apart from turning in impressive performances in solid ensembles, Kapoor is also known for his writing prowess and feature film directorial projects. On his 63rd birthday, let's revisit some of his notable directorials.
'Raghu Romeo' (2004)
A recipient of the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi, Raghu Romeo might be lesser known, but it teems with some of the best actors of our time: Vijay Raaz, Virendra Saxena, and Surekha Sikri. Kapoor financed this film through loans from his friends, and since it didn't make any money despite critical acclaim, he repaid them over five years!
'Mithya' (2008)
What happens when refined actors like Naseeruddin Shah and Vinay Pathak cross paths creatively? A memorable film like Mithya is born. Also featuring Ranvir Shorey, Saurabh Shukla, Neha Dhupia, Harsh Chhaya, and Brijendra Kala, Mithya revolves around the life of a supporting actor in Bollywood who is, unfortunately, a doppelganger of a dreaded Mumbai-based don. It is available on Amazon Prime Video and YouTube.
'Fatso!' (2012)
Co-starring Gul Panag, Purab Kohli, Neil Bhoopalam, and Shorey, it circles five close friends who navigate life's rigamaroles together. IMDb describes it as, "Killed too soon due to a clerical error in heaven, a man is sent back to earth with a new lease on life, this time in the body of his portly friend." Watch it on Amazon Prime Video or Disney+ Hotstar.
'Ankhon Dekhi' (2014)
Ankhon Dekhi—headlined by Sanjay Mishra and Kapoor and emboldened by supporting performances from Seema Pahwa, Shukla, and Shorey—is about a man who only believes what he sees. Kapoor said, "When I was writing the script, [Mishra's] face kept coming to my mind. Approaching him for the movie, I told Mishra that I will only make it if he does the role of Bauji (sic)."
'RK/RKay' (2022)
Recipient of a thunderous response at various film festivals, RK/RKay is Kapoor's most recent directorial. It stars him, Mallika Sherawat, Shorey, Kubbra Sait, and Manu Rishi Chadha. Speaking about his double role in it, Kapoor said, "The double role is difficult to essay. In many scenes in this film, I was acting opposite myself, which means there was no other actor in the scene."
