Rabi Sharma: Fitness is his buzzword

Please us something about your childhood and education.

I spent my early childhood in the Paltan Bazar area of Guwahati. My first school was DAV School before shifting to Faculty School. I did my Higher Secondary at Cotton College and my graduation from Arya Vidyapeeth College.

Thereafter, I undertook a basic computer course and parallelly started working for a local company which was dealing in medical equipment. Then I shifted to New Delhi and started working there. But I found it very hard to stay there. Firstly because of the extreme climate, secondly because I felt very alienated in the metro city and thirdly because of the health conditions of my father demanding my return to my home city. Also, I was afraid that if I keep working in the environment, I will have to stay confined to a desk job which was not ready to accept at that time.

I came back to Guwahati in around 1996-97 and started a business of my own under the name 'Pool and Cyber.'It was the first cafe of its type in the city.

How did you get into the Assamese film industry?

I did not search for cinema, cinema found me. My first project was in 1998 and it was a song by JP Das. I was already into modelling and had a good physique. Then I got my first offer from Munin Baruah.

I did not want to go into cinema even after getting the offer for 'Hiya Diya Niya'. I had mainly two reasons for trying to avoid this field. Firstly, I had this feeling that acting means doing the same thing repeatedly and secondly I had the opinion that acting means you have to use makeup. And both of these were kind of not acceptable on my part at that time.

I always wanted to be in the defence services of the country. Also with my health consciousness and good physic, I decided to prepare for civil services. But things did not turn up as I wanted to in the entrance examinations of the defence services. Also, I could not afford to pay for a position in the administrative line.

I was preparing for the sub-inspector position of Assam Police when Hiya Diya Niya happened. I got addicted to the love and acceptance of the people so I had to let go of all my old dreams. At the age of around 26, I reached a position wherein I did not have to introduce myself, people already knew me.

And as I moved forward, I realised that it is a very big responsibility to be the icon for the youth. Another thing that I realised after entering this field was that I was becoming a better person.

"I was learning how to eat right, walk right and talk right. Confidence was building up because I saw myself from behind. I undertook that I looked good from all sides and that helped a lot. Every day there was a new challenge and I was confident to stand up and face it. Some days it was singing, some days it was dance, action on the others. Every character has a different story and is totally set apart from the previous and needs a lot of confidence."

Every day is an adventure as we live the lives of the characters in my movies and I love to live this adventure any day. Whatever leaves I take are dedicated to my family. Mine is a blessed life, work is a picnic for me and the rest is at home.

Tell us about any problem you faced in the field.

As I proceeded in the field of acting and my following grew, I faced a new dilemma. It was about whom to choose as my fans. I realised that the gym-going or health-oriented public is less than 1% of the fans who come for Assamese movies. I chose that 1% of people and after almost 26 years in this field now more than 4% and that number grows continuously. And I am very proud of the choice and the insights and patience to have taken that decision so many years ago and stay with it.

Tell us a bit about your achievements

I do not consider a particular movie or any recognition as my achievement. The very fact that I was able to bring a positive change in the lives of so many people towards a healthy lifestyle is my main achievement-- when people get inspired by my work and lifestyle to leave their unhealthy lifestyles behind and go towards a better life.

What are the things that you check before accepting a project?

Firstly I study the impact of the script and check for the morality factor. I also check how much the character suits me and how much value addition I can bring to the script. Secondly, I look for the quality of the production. Thirdly is definitely the financial factor. And lastly, I have some personal policies. These include that I do not do any bad scenes, and kissing scenes and substance abuse are totally off for me.

Please tell us about the people who inspired you?

As an actor, Amitabh Bachan is my idol. Through constant renovation and learning, he has not become obsolete even at this age. He still carries a lot of professionalism and weight in all his projects. I love his persona, thought process and charisma.

I admire my father and mother as they gave me a few lessons which helped me largely in all aspects of my life. This has also helped me in avoiding any controversy to date. It is very difficult to avoid negative publicity in the industry that I am in and thankfully my parents gave me all the moral lessons necessary for the same.

Padma Shri Jadav Payeng has proved through his efforts that once someone puts his heart and soul into anything, nothing remains out of bounds. I am not only impressed, but he is the boss of determination. I wish that someday we will be able to make a movie about him and do justice to his work.

"Lebel thaka manuhe lebel nediye, jar nathake khi he dibo lage"

Who are your favourite co-stars in the industry?

I love to work with everyone in the industry. There is something to learn from each and everyone as each person is unique in some sense or the other. Be someone very senior or someone who has just entered the industry, everyone has something to teach the other.

I enjoy working with all female characters in the industry. But if I have to choose one name, my favourite co-star would be Barasha Rani Bishaya. We share a very good online chemistry and we have done quite a few projects together.

I had the luck of working with several experienced people of the field like Arun Nath, Jayanta Das, Tapan Das, Biju Phukan and several newcomers as well. But my favourite will be Hiranya Deka. Although mostly known for his comedy based acts, he is an institution in himself and has a lot to teach everyone. Looks can be really deceiving, especially when it comes to Hiranya Das and Jayanta Das.

Who is your favourite director?

I was fortunate to work with Dr Bhabendra Nath Saikia, Dulal Roy, and Munin Barua. It is a very humping experience with each of them since they know so much. For me, every project is a class. Every class has students from different backgrounds who have something special and the director knows how to handle it all. New classmates and new teachers just add something to the knowledge base that I have collected over the years.

Each director has his own perspective as well as briefing style and each project is a new experience. But I owe my entire career to Lt. Munin Barua. If it wasn't for him, I would not have come to the Assamese Film Industry. I will always be grateful to him for bringing me to this field. He introduced me not only films, but also plays.

If we consider a view based on the prospects of the directors, I believe that Dr Bhabendra Nath Saikia had the most unique perspectives. His imagination and ideas used to be beyond the comprehension and expectations of the rest of the people. The way he saw situations and life as a whole was beyond any common people.

Both Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia and later Munin Barua always aimed to take the Assamese culture and art few steps ahead and I believe that they are the people who managed to bring the Assamese film industry to its current status.

Is any experience worth remembering?

I do not remember the exact occasion but this incident is imprinted deeply on my mind. I was working with a mobile theatre at that time. The storyline demanded my character to light up a cigarette on state, and so I did. A viewer sitting in the front row commented loudly about why I lit a cigarette on stage. Comments from the other viewers made this viewer leave the presentation.

Senior people might understand that it's just an act, but younger generations might think that one can maintain health while continuing with this unhealthy habit and might stray to the wrong lanes. It struck me almost immediately and I decided never to light a smoke again in front of an audience. If the storyline demands, I might have to carry one with me, but I will never light it.

I never met that person after that, but I want to take this opportunity to thank that person for pointing it out to me and helping me improve.

What is your fitness regime?

My workout regime is very simple and can be summed up using only one word - 'consistency'. I have been working out very consistently over the last three and a half decades. In the last 36 years, I have not missed a single day of workouts. There have been occasions when I could not visit the gym, but I try to manage something wherever I am. This is the main key to how like look now at the age of fifty.

The second point is that I have experimented on my body for the last 36 years and I have discovered that considering the place I was born in, its weather and my ethnicity, Assamese food is what suits me the best. I have learned how to manipulate time and quantity with experimentation myself. However, I have started taking professional help in this field now since I can no longer afford enough time in this field.

A very positive thought process is an essential part of any workout. Before spending on gym memberships and accessories, first, visualise yourself in your dream shape. Start by building the body in your mind, tell yourself that you want this physique and that you are willing to do anything to reach that goal. Once you are determined to take the effort, only then do you go to the gym.

Making muscles is not the main purpose of going to the gym. The main idea behind it is to create and continue with very a healthy lifestyle. Bodybuilding is not a course, it is a process.

What is your take on OTT vs Films?

Home-cooked food is served hot to the people waiting for food at home in the cinema. Cooked food kept in a casserole and consumed as per the time of the consumer is OTT. Casseroles were made for people who cannot arrive on time. Freshly cooked food always tastes better and is comparatively healthier than stored food, which is just like watching a movie on the large screen versus watching it on your TV or mobile via OTT. It might be the exact same content, but the way of consumption makes the movie more or less enjoyable.

They have a very huge opportunity in the future, but that would require huge amounts of money as well as planning. No one will subscribe to local platforms to watch just a handful of content. When it comes to these applications, customers want choice. Players like Netflix managed to turn a local series into a global phenomenon and Assamese OTT platforms still have a long way to go. New partiers should come up with a proper list of contents in order to make such a project feasible.

Out of so many projects, which is your favourite movie?

Two names come to mind. The first is Jeevan Trishna by Arup Manna. We tried to show a very positive mindset of a heartbroken lover. That life goes on in spite of failures in love is the core story behind the movie and it inspires a lot of people. Aami Asomiya by Rajib Bhattacharya is the second movie that comes to my mind. It deals with another favourite topic of mine, the dignity of labour. It's the story of a happy-go-lucky boy who could do anything to help the public and make the necessary livelihood. This film inspired me to put very strict regulations on my expenditures.

Upcoming Projects

We have invested a lot of effort and money in my upcoming project, Raghupati. We plan to release it after the exams are over in the state. The script itself took more than two years and I wish the audience accept it as well.

What message do you want to give our readers?

My first identity is Assamese. I want all Assamese people to learn the dignity of labour. One cannot save our identity by a mere celebration of festivals and mistreating people engaged with certain works. Work ethics and respect are the basic needs of the community. People should not be ashamed of their work or position, only then can we come to respect others.

Your final thoughts.

I want people to think about the implications that their actions might have on others before taking any action. This will help not only solve a large number of misunderstandings and conflicts but also to lead a happier life. All the people in the world are connected, so it does not make sense to act carelessly. For example, if someone throws a glass bottle on the road and it breaks, and subsequently injures a rickshaw puller, it might lead to his family and kids sleeping hungry for the next few days. Happiness is not a destination, it is a direction.

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