Rajesh Tailang: ‘You can see a glimpse of Sridevi-ji in her’

Janhvi Kapoor flanked by Gulshan Devaiah and Roshan Mathew; (inset) Late Sridevi

Only weeks after the première of Mirzapur's third season, Rajesh Tailang is counting the days to his next release, Ulajh. For the thriller, director Sudhanshu Saria has brought an eclectic cast together - Janhvi Kapoor, Gulshan Devaiah and Roshan Mathew hold centre-stage, ably supported by seasoned actors Adil Hussain and Tailang. "All my co-stars in Ulajh are so sincere, and did such a good job. I don't think I was as good an actor at their age. Roshan and Gulshan are thoughtful actors. They do a scene not just for the sake of it; they put a lot of thought and hard work behind it," marvels Tailang.

Rajesh Tailang

Most of his scenes in the film are with Kapoor, whom he calls a natural in front of the camera. "She is hard-working and a natural. She is a supportive and grounded actor, which helps you as a co-star. We were all fans of her mother. You can see a glimpse of Sridevi-ji in her," he says.

After Ulajh, Tailang will be seen in Bandish Bandits 2, a satire with Sakshi Tanwar and Gajraj Rao, and a ZEE5 series directed by Sudhir Mishra. This busy phase in his career is hard-earned. The actor, with a two-decade-plus career behind him, remembers the time when he faced repeated rejections in the industry. "I have rejected work, but more than that, people have rejected me. But I have never been insecure because I have focused on my growth as an actor. When I didn't have a lot of screen work, I did theatre and taught at NSD [National School of Drama]. When you work on yourself and your craft, the fragrance [of your hard work] reaches people."