Actor Gyanendra Kumar Pallai, who has done a variety of characters in many mega serials, needs no introduction to TV viewers in Odisha. He has also gained a foothold in the film industry, mostly playing the antagonist. Apart from his distinct style, what makes him stand out in the industry is his pace. He has already appeared in 13 mega serials and five films even though he entered the industry just four years ago. His popular serials include Badhu, Sahanai, Kumkum, Sindura Bindu, Durga, To Aganara Tulasi Mu and Kalijai. Romeo Juliet, Shiva Not Out and Love Promise are among the films that cemented his place in the industry. He has bagged some meaty roles in popular stage plays – Kalijuge Jagannath, Saburi Pathe Sai, Sai Ram, Shradha Saburi, and Utkalmani Gopabandhu. The accomplished actor, who works as a professor in an engineering college, took time out to speak to Sunday POST about his acting career.
“I was passionate about acting from my childhood and that continued in school and college. I was the cultural secretary of our college union. But because of certain circumstances, I could start professional acting only in 2015. After doing my engineering in Chennai, I did M.Tech from Utkal University and got a job in Sachdeva New PT College in 1992. After a long stint there, I joined NM Institute of Engineering and Technology in 2004. From 2004 to 2015, I was completely occupied in teaching. I used to spend 13 hours a day there. Despite this, I continued to perform on stage when I got the opportunity. Though my colleagues and students always encouraged me to try my luck in serials, I never took it seriously. But things changed after my wife went to NIT-Rourkela to pursue PhD. It was then that I thought of concentrating on acting, my passion.”
For Gyanendra, it was not easy in the beginning to get roles. So, he contacted veteran actor Mihir Das who happened to be one of his close relatives. Recalling his interaction with Mihir Das, Gyanendra says, “Though Mihir Bhai frequently visited our place, I didn’t tell him about my desire. But when my wife moved to Rourkela and I felt lonely, I decided to pursue acting. Mihir Bhai was taken aback when I approached him. On his recommendation, I got a call from a production house for an audition. I attended the audition and got the role. Thus, Mihir Bhai helped me get my first acting assignment.
Meanwhile, I started doing theatre seriously to hone my acting skill. I owe my success to Ramesh Chandra Parida, chairman of NM Group of Institutions. I share a close rapport with him. He encouraged me to have a go at acting. He used to boost my morale whenever I felt low.” Multi-talented Gyanendra, an engineering professor, thus took to theatre and began acting in daily soaps and films.
On his favourite character, Gyanendra says, “I was playing the antagonist role in the daily soap Sindura Bindu. My character’s name was Sudarshan Bhai and I rapidly became popular in every household.”
While many actors struggle to get roles, Gyanendra had to say ‘no’ to some projects like Sabitri and To Pain Mu due to paucity of time. “I got so many offers in the last two years but had to decline most of them due to time crunch. I have to pay attention to my teaching profession also.”
Recalling an interesting incident, he says, “Once I was invited as a guest for a tree plantation programme at Chintamani Nagar Girls’ High School in the state capital. I was mobbed by a group of students as soon I reached the spot. They requested the school principal for a meeting with me which was arranged. I was surprised when they urged me to stop troubling Nilima, the female protagonist in Sindura Bindu. They said that their family members curse me every time they find me troubling Nilima. I told them that I was paid to trouble her, and my natural acting had created interest about the character among the viewers and the programme got high TRP ratings. The students were finally convinced that I am not a bad guy in real life.
“My students Jagjit Pal, Aswini Tripathy and Ananya often request me not to play negative characters. According to them, I am a good human being in real life, therefore, I shouldn’t spoil my image in public,” says Gyanendra with a smile.
On his dream role, he says, “A role for which a script will be written keeping me in mind, where I will play the central character.”
Defining acting, Gyanendra who is active in social activities says, “I must repeat the lines of Mihir Bhai who once told me, ‘Acting is not doing acting. Acting is what happens when a person gets into the skin of the character. But if acting is merely pretending to be someone else, then anyone can do it. As a matter of fact, we all do it – every day. A true actor’s goal is to portray another individual as honestly and authentically as possible.’ Yes, acting is living every moment under the lens of the camera truthfully. That’s it. For me, acting is my life. I will have no life if I don’t act and entertain my audience.”
However, he is not happy with the present trend of ‘copy-paste’ formula in Odia films. “I am hurt by the way Odia films are being made these days. The viewers want to watch films that speak about our story and culture and have a local flavour instead of being blatantly copied from other languages. Besides, the number of cine-goers is on the decline due to dearth of good theatres. The state government should take some measures on the issue.”
On his future projects, the actor said, he will be seen in a cameo in the movie Jungle Cry, based on the lives of 12 underprivileged children from the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) who won the International Junior Rugby Tournament held in London in 2007.
RASHMI REKHA DAS, OP