Veteran actor Parikshit Sahni, son of the legendary Balraj Sahni, recently revealed a unique insight into his father's acclaimed "natural" acting style. Balraj Sahni, remembered for his iconic performances in films like 'Do Bigha Zameen', 'Kabuliwala', 'Waqt', and 'Garm Hava', was admired for his ability to embody characters with remarkable authenticity. According to Parikshit, this naturalism wasn't merely instinctual but stemmed from a distinct technique.
In an interview with ANI, Parikshit Sahni shared the "secret" behind his father's realistic portrayals. He explained that during Balraj Sahni's time, dialogues in Hindi films often sounded artificial and stilted. To overcome this, Balraj Sahni developed a method to make the dialogues sound more genuine. "He used to take the dialogues, rewrite them in Punjabi in Gurmukhi, and then rehearse them in Gurmukhi. After that, he would speak to them in Hindi as naturally as he could". Parikshit believes that this process allowed his father to avoid the "bombastic style" prevalent in that era, contributing to the perception of his performances as exceptionally natural.
Born in Rawalpindi on May 1, 1913, Balraj Sahni's journey to becoming a celebrated actor involved various roles. He graduated with degrees in Hindi and English Literature and initially joined his family business. Later, he taught at Rabindranath Tagore's Visva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan. He also worked with Mahatma Gandhi for a year. In 1940, he moved to London to work as a radio announcer for the BBC's Hindi service. Balraj Sahni was also associated with the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA), a theatre movement in the 1950s. He wrote the screenplay for the 1951 film "Baazi".
Parikshit also shared the most valuable advice he received from his father: "Don't act. But believe". Balraj Sahni emphasized the importance of believing in the character and the story, which would translate into a genuine performance. "People always watched him and said that he was a very natural actor. He looked so natural on the screen because he didn't act. He said, 'Believe in what you're doing.' And that was the best tip I ever got," Parikshit recalled.
Balraj Sahni's dedication to his craft involved deep immersion into his roles. For his role as a rickshaw puller in "Do Bigha Zameen," he spent time with rickshaw pullers in Calcutta, observing their mannerisms and even pulling a rickshaw himself to understand their experiences. Bimal Roy, the director of the film, was initially hesitant to cast Sahni, considering him too polished for the role of an uneducated villager. However, Sahni's commitment and performance proved his mettle.
Balraj Sahni passed away on April 13, 1973, at the age of 59. He left behind a legacy of memorable performances and a reputation as one of Indian cinema's most authentic and dedicated actors. His unique method of rewriting dialogues in Punjabi to achieve naturalism, as revealed by his son Parikshit, offers a glimpse into the actor's commitment to his art.
