Thirty-six-year-old Rajan Tiwari sees himself as the guy who had raw talent slapped all over him then was told to make the best use it. And if you are one of the hundreds he has had rolling with laughter, you would be nodding in agreement.
In recent years, making the best of his talent is just what Rajan has been doing. It has propelled him into the homes and hearts of many Guyanese as he not only brings laughter to his fans but can move them to tears, depending on the role he is playing.
Some may not know him by his given name, but by those he uses in his various roles. Many may know him as ‘Gopaul’ or ‘Rufus’ in the popular Lotto advertisements, ‘Katahar’ in the Metro ad or more recently as the ‘mosquito zapper’ guy in the Beepat’s advertisement. As to his stage names they are just too many to list. He has been in every Link show since 2001 and many other popular shows such as Nothing to Laugh About and Awe Society. He has also acted in many of the Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) plays directed by Neaz Subhan.
This Enmore, East Coast Demerara, born and bred resident made it clear during a recent sit down with The Scene that he still has a far way to go but he knows he has raw talent on his side. Rajan revealed that he has never attended any class or workshop to hone his skill.
As a matter of fact, he has been told that he was quite funny as a child. He recalls that he used to go into the street and dance whenever he heard music and persons were always tickled by his performance.
“I could recall that since then I was never afraid of what people might have said about me and I always wanted to do things,” he told The Scene.
One of his childhood dreams was to become a pilot, but he quickly learnt that was not to be. However, even then, he did not see acting an alternative. So after his schooling at St Stanislaus College he secured an apprenticeship with GuySuCo as a mechanical engineer at the Port Mourant Estate. Up to two months ago, he was a mechanical supervisor at Enmore Estate, still with the sugar corporation after 18 years. However, he has resigned and now aims to focus on his career and no longer be a part-time actor.
“But I don’t want to just be an actor, I want to focus on myself and maybe become a promoter of drama…” Rajan said, revealing that he already has one show under his belt. He produces the ‘Laugh Till You Fraf’ comedy show and has taken it to many rural communities. While the scripts are written by well-known actors such as Henry Rodney and Linden ‘Jumbie’ Jones, Rajan is the one who promotes the show. He feels it is good to take theatre to other parts of the country and with the names of the well known faces in the theatre business, the shows have been well supported.
“You see, comedy has a way of easing stress,” Rajan said, “research tells us that laughter can help people with so many things and to get people to forget about their stress in life even temporarily can be a good thing.”
He enjoys the attention he receives when he is on the streets and persons call out to him by the various names he uses in the advertisements. He said he always tries to stop and say hello or give a handshake as for him it is very important to be courteous to the persons who appreciate what he does.
How it happened
Even as he basks in the limelight of his newfound full-time career, Rajan is quick to remember that it was another actor who propelled him into the realm of mainstream theatre. He recalled that John Phillips, who has now migrated, was his supervisor at GuySuCo and saw potential in him. Phillips at the time produced scripts for the company and Rajan was one of the actors.
“He told me ‘you have talent and I am going to take you to the National Cultural Centre to act’,” Rajan recalled. True to his word, Phillips assisted him in getting a role in his first play. The play, Visa Fraud, which was centred on the Thomas Carroll scandal, was produced and directed by Vivian Williams. Rajan said he was given the lead role playing a character called ‘Baburam.’
“I am very grateful to John for what he did for me. He pushed me into acting,” Rajan said.
In 2003, he was named the best supporting actor for a role played in ‘Awe Society’, while Phillips was named the best actor for his role in the very play which was written by Professor Ken Danns and directed by Desiree Edghill.
But even though Phillips was the man to give him his first push ‘Jumbie’ Jones is Rajan’s mentor and he is now pushing the actor down the path of standup comedy.
“He told me it is something I can do and I am thinking about it.”
As an example of his closeness with Jones, Rajan told the story of an accident he was involved in two years ago. He was taking his wife and two children to Pizza Hut for dinner when his car became involved in an accident. The first person he called was Jones. His daughter–now 14 years old–bore the brunt of the accident, is still recovering from a foot injury and has not gone to school since.
Rajan told The Scene that he is not “really a funny guy at home” because he sees his roles as father and husband in his home as very serious ones and there is nothing to laugh about.
On this serious note, Rajan quickly turned to advising young persons who are desirous of entering the theatre business and he stresses that discipline is paramount to success. He warned that rehearsals should never be taken lightly and persons should always be punctual–even though he did admit that he has been guilty in the past of transgressing. He sees alcohol, drugs and the cell phone phenomenon as messing up the careers of some youths. When someone is in the middle of rehearsing a role the worst thing that can happen is for his/her cell phone to ring and him/her to answer it. Rajan pointed out that it not only throws persons off balance but can cause them to forget their roles and it can take a while for things to get back on stream.
“And you must always remember your lines… sometimes you do forget, it has happened to me, and when this happens improvise and stay in your role,” he advises.
He named Ron Robinson and Gem Madhoo-Nascimento as two persons he admires in the business for their patience and knowledge. His praise for them would include the fact that they afforded him his first trip overseas and it was to the US with the cast of the Link Show.
“Imagine, that was my first Link Show and they gave me that opportunity. I didn’t even have a passport back then in 2001,” Rajan recalled. Since then he has travelled with the cast to the US and Canada on many occasions.
Rajan knows he has done well but he also knows he has a far way to go and while leaving GuySuCo was very difficult he feels that if he hadn’t he would never be able to realize his true potential. Rajan says his motto is ‘God is never wrong’.
“In life there are certain times you need to make a decision and making that decision can propel you to do well,” Rajan said referring to his decision to leave GuySuCo and his comfort zone of a sure salary at the end of the month.
He hopes to very shortly start a morning television programme titled, ‘Talk am how you know am’ and this would be the forum for him to address the many social ills in society. Rajan is very concerned about the moral deterioration in society and the way school children now behave and these are some of the issues he hopes to tackle head on should he be given the opportunity to make the programme a reality; it depends on the feedback for a request for sponsorship from a corporate entity.
Whatever happens, there is no doubt that Guyana would be hearing and seeing more of Rajan Tiwari as he further stamps his authority in the world of theatre.
(samantha_alleyne2000@yahoo.com)
