6 years of Kedarnath throwback: When Sushant Singh Rajput said, "We live in stressful times, cinema should do the healing"

Sushant Singh Rajput’s character in Abhishek Kapoor’s Kedarnath is so naturally noble, it’s tough not to like him. The actor gives his all to his role, and then some more, leaving no room for his character Mansoor to be defined by his religious beliefs. Thankfully, Mansoor is never shown doing Namaaz. He behaves “normally” while the city’s ‘religious’ radicals get all worked up into a state of whiplashing lividity.

There are some moments of greatness peeking out of the storytelling, like the sequence where Mansoor tells Mukku how his father once wrote a fan letter to the great Lata Mangeshkar telling her how the Valley resonated to her voice when she sang. Mansoor then sings ‘Lag ja gale se’ for Mukku.

Time stands still. Sushant brings a certain magic to this moment. At the end when Mukku sits to hear the radio, the same song is announced.

Sushant Singh Rajput was really excited about the release of Kedarnath for many reasons. It brought him back together with director Abhishek Kapoor with whom Sushant’s cinematic journey started after Kai Po Che. Thereafter the two had a massive fall-out. But Sushant and Abhishek Kapoor reconciled for Kedarnath, a Hindu-Muslim love story.

I had brought up his differences with his Kedarnath director just before the film’s release, and the actor had laughed softly and said, “Arrey, Sir jaane dijiye na. Chhoro kal ki baatein kal ki baat purani. What is important is that Gattu (Abhishek Kapoor) and I are back together. Kedarnath will be a turning point for both of us. It is about God and the oneness of humanity. Gattu is a bhakt of Shiv Bhagwan. So am I.”

As excited as a schoolboy visiting his most favourite spot in the world, Sushant said, “Pataa hai, Sir? I play a pithoo in Kedarnath. I am a Muslim character named Mansoor. But I carry all the Hindu pilgrims on my back to the temple. Isn’t this true secularism, Sir?”

So, was Kedarnath Sushant’s most secular film?

Replied Sushant, “I don’t know about most secular. But I want all my films to convey a message of universal brotherhood. We live in stressful times. Cinema should do the healing. Being an actor is a responsibility. I never want to play a character that sends out the wrong message.”

Sushant won my heart by saying, “One more thing Sir. There is another reason why Kedarnath is very special to me and would be special to you: I get to sing Lataji’s ‘Lag ja gale se’. I know how much you worship Lataji. My mother was also a big fan of hers, especially this song. So this one is for you, Maa.”

Sushant and his mother must be singing ‘Lag ja gale se’ in heaven.

Sushant and I shared a really amiable equation. Once when he was on his way to a holiday in some snow-capped scenic spot with his then girlfriend. I foolishly asked him what they would be doing there.

“Sir, aap bhi na…” he laughed.

That laughter is still with me.

Also Read: Sara Ali Khan opens up on the spat between Kedarnath and Simmba makers over her dates: “I got SUED for Rs. 5 crores”