‘I Eat Everything—Luckily, It Doesn’t Show’: Vrajesh Hirjee on Fitness at 55

Being typecast in comedy roles no longer bothers Vrajesh Hirjee, and there is nothing he would do differently if he could start all over again. Hirjee stressed more than once during the interview that “all I have ever wanted to do is act,” and he is content with everything that has come his way over the last 30 years.After having wrapped up his latest theatrical performance, the Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai actor opens up about his journey, working with seasoned Bollywood stars, his love for the stage, along with diet, fitness, and life at 55.Vrajesh Hirjee: Truth be told, I had never ‘imagined’ a journey. All I have ever wanted to do is act. From that perspective, my journey this far has been all I could have imagined and more!
Q. Over this time, you have worked across all media: film, theatre, audio, and TV. Which one satisfies you the most creatively?
Vrajesh Hirjee: I’ve mentioned above that all I’ve ever wanted to do is act. Regardless of the medium. Each comes with its own set of challenges. Each has and continues to teach me something new, something different as an actor. Things that I can carry over. The role is the thing. That is where the creative satisfaction is to be found.
Q. Your love for the stage is especially evident. What makes you keep coming back to it? And what has your experience been like working with Aadyam Theatre?
Vrajesh Hirjee: The theatre is riyaaz. It is where I unlearn and relearn. Aadyam Theatre has been a blessing to the theatre Industry. The experience with Aadyam Theatre has been a joy. A thing of beauty.

Q. Speaking of which, could you tell us about your role in Aadyam Theatre’s Dil Ka Haal Sune Dilwala and what interested you about it?
Vrajesh Hirjee: Roles. Plural. In one play. That, in itself, would be enough to interest any actor in the superb script. It’s Aadyam Theatre, Aasakta Kalamanch, whattay beauty bunch, the incredible cast, and the director Mohit Takalkar (whom one has been waiting to work with since like forever) and the precision he demands.
Q. Comedy is believed to be one of the toughest genres to perform. What is your trick to mastering the art, especially in a play like Dil Ka Haal Sune Dilwala?
Vrajesh Hirjee: Comedy, in my opinion, is the nakedest, barest way to put oneself to the test as an actor. In the absence of honesty, there can be no comedy. Better than, in my opinion, not to ‘perform’ it. Because comedy just is. In Dil Ka Haal Sune Dilwala, Mohit Takalkar has been firmly insent on finding the truth of both the characters I play. Even in their funniest moments. Nerve-wrackingly tough as that has been, the audience’s reaction has made it worth it!
Q. On stage, you perform in front of a live audience. What if a joke falls flat, or the audience does not react the way you and the team anticipated? How do you hide your disappointment then? Especially during performances of Dil Ka Haal Sune Dilwala?
Vrajesh Hirjee: As an actor, one is paid to:
A) Not disappoint.Story continues below this ad
B) In the event that one does end up disappointing, then to hide one’s disappointment at having disappointed.
C) Go back to the drawing board.
D) Go back to (A).
Also, in Dil Ka Haal Sune Dilwala, one has not had to hide one’s disappointment because, judging audience reactions thus far, one has, thankfully, not disappointed.
Dilnaz Irani and Vrajesh Hirjee in Dil Ka Haal Sune Dilwala. (PR handout)
Q. You started your theatre journey after debuting as an actor. Many newcomers do the opposite, especially because of better pay. Why had you made the switch then?
Vrajesh Hirjee: I began with The Royal Hunt Of The Sun, directed Feroz Abbas Khan, long before I turned professional. I must’ve performed 10+ plays in various languages before my TV debut.
Q. How different is it preparing for films, TV, and theatre? Which medium challenges you more as an actor?
Vrajesh Hirjee: As I’ve said above, I don’t prepare for a medium. I prepare for a role. It has to be a role that challenges. Not the medium.Story continues below this ad
Q. Your first show happened because writer Adi Pocha wanted a “short, thin, funny guy.” Despite your experimenting with various genres, the tag/stereotype seems to have stuck. Does being pigeonholed into comedy bother you?
Vrajesh Hirjee: I’m known for my comic work, and that, you know, it would seem that I have been pigeonholed into that, which is really not a surprise, but that is not the case. If you look at Dil Ka Haal Sune Dilwala itself, I play two characters. Both the characters I play are complete opposites. And one of them, in fact, is not comic at all.
One of the briefs that my director, Mohit Takalkar, gave me for Dil Ka Haal Sune Dilwala didn’t make me laugh. Apart from that, even on screen, there is a lot of work I have done that has not been comic at all. So, being known for my comic work, no, that does not bother me. At one point in my career, in the early or middle stages, it used to, but no, it doesn’t.

Q. In your career, you have worked with many Bollywood stars — Ajay Devgn, Aamir Khan, Ranveer Singh, Hrithik Roshan. Any particular memory from working with any of these Bollywood stars that has stayed with you even after so many years?
Vrajesh Hirjee: Every single one of the people I’ve worked with, I have memories with. Every single one of them, I’ve had such wonderful conversations with. I’ve learned so much from them. There’s been such a wonderful give and take, but there is no one single memory I can single out because every single one of them is just such an incredible person, not just to work with, but to even be with.
Q. Apart from creative pursuits, you are also known for raising awareness about diabetes. Why this particular condition? Is there a story behind it?
Vrajesh Hirjee: Raising awareness about diabetes was something I did as part of a social campaign while hosting my radio show at Big FM, Mumbai Maska Marke. We do know that diabetes is a scourge for our society in particular, and we should be very, very cognisant of this.Story continues below this ad
Q. Talking about wellness, how do you take care of your health at 55? What are the dos and don’ts that you follow regarding your diet and fitness?
Vrajesh Hirjee: I eat everything. Luckily, it doesn’t show. But in terms of fitness, I am an outdoorsy person. I’ve just returned from a trip in the hills with my family, where my son and I have done a fair bit of climbing. And next month I’m off on a scuba diving trip to a place called the Ring of Fire. So that helps me sort of stay sane and as fit as possible.
Of course, apart from that, the regular things that you need to do: lift, lift, lift- not just walk, lift. And yes, you do need to be, you know, watchful about what you’re eating, though.

Q. Do you think your talent has been adequately recognised and utilised the industry?
Vrajesh Hirjee: Talent will always be recognised. It might take some time, but it will always be recognised. And talent, even at the highest level, will feel that there is so much more to give. So the utilisation will also come. And that’s not just true for our cinema industry or our theatre. It’s true across the world.
Q. The entertainment industry can take a toll, physically and mentally, owing to its exhaustive nature. Have the highs and lows (shelved projects, box office failures, lack of work), especially, ever affected you mentally?
Vrajesh Hirjee: Yes, being a part of the entertainment industry can and does take its toll mentally, emotionally, and physically, but so does anything else. But I’m saying the difference here is that what you mentioned yourself, the highs and the lows, you know, there is a great deal of fear that is always present. But the thing is to learn to embrace it and flow with it.
There could possibly be periods of time when you’re out of work, and you’re asking yourself as a performer ‘Am I not good enough? Have I lost it? Why is my phone not ringing?’ But that doesn’t last forever. If you’re good enough, you will always be called upon because, as I said, a performer will always say there is so much more to give.