Nirmal Pandey to play Nirbhay Gujjar

varanasi, sep 29 (uni) critically acclaimed actor nirmal pandey, who played the integral character of 'vikram mallah' in shekhar kapoor's 'bandit queen' will enact the role of nirbhay gujjar -- the notorious bandit who ruled the chambal ravines for three dacades, before falling prey to the bullets of the police in november last.

''the project is likely to start in the next few months where i will enact nirbhay gujjar,'' said nirmal pandey, an alumunus of the national school of drama (nsd).

''it is not easy playing a brigand, be it vikram mallah mastana or nirbhay gujjar. The only difference between the two dacoits is that while vikram mallah was a robinhood style dacoit, gujjar was a nasty bandit,'' he told newspersons here last night.

The actor, who played a transvestite in amol palekar's 'dayra', which fetched him the specially created best actress award at a french film festival in 1997, now wants to take up the challenge of playing the role of shehnai legend bharat ratna ustad bismillah khan, whenever a film is made on his persona.

''though i hail from nainital in the hill state of uttaranchal, banaras has a special place in my life, right from the time i was in nsd,'' pandey said.

Interestingly, pandey is a founder member of the kala kammune -- an art and culture group in varanasi.

''i will love to play ustad bismillah, the melody of whose shehnai resonates in my senses once i close my eyes and dream of banaras,'' pandey, who starred opposite smriti mishra -- hailing from varanasi --in 'is raat ki subah nahin.' maintaining that he was a die-hard fan of legendary novelist munshi prem chand, pandey said prem chand's novels, which narrated the pangs of commoners in a feudalist society, need to serve as a subject for bhojpuri cinema.

''if i succeed in staying in bhojpuri cinema for a long time, i will certainly work on films based on prem chand's novels,'' he maintained.

''only a film based on classics like godaan could make bhojpuri cinema award winning, but for that a modern satyajit ray is needed,'' he quipped.

Pandey further informed that he is presently working on an indo-french production titled 'prabhu ke gun gao ' where he plays a 70-year-old muslim qawwali singer. Besides, his other up coming films include 'chattis ghante' and 'ghatak'.

Pandey is also excited with a hindi movie to be directed by him which casts besides him seasoned actor tabu. ''it deals with the life of those who migrate from small towns to metros for success,'' he said.

The actor, who conceded that he loves working in films on the socially disadvantaged, is also playing a meaty role in 'lahore' -- a film based on indo-pak relations, to be shot soon in pakistan, malaysia and new delhi. The film also stars nafisa ali.

Pandey, who has not had the best of luck as a singer, vows to carry on with an album 'jashna' where he tries to turn into a sufi singer, by rendering voice to numbers including bhajans of kabir.

The album is likely to hit music stores sometime next month.

Uni ars sb pb bd1400