Intelligent actor

When I think of intelligent actor the first person I can think of is Rajit Kapur. Brilliant method air who brings life to each character he portrays. Whether it's Byomkesh Bakshi the Indian Sherlock Holmes or Manik the practical storyteller, he can carry any character on his able shoulders. I have seen him perform on stage too in a party about Mumbai, Bombay Talkis, with 3 youngsters.  Believe me when I say the 3 youngsters on 1 side and Rajit on the other and he still tramped them with his brilliant acting even in small guest roles... he lit the stage with his presence and the energy levels rose with his voice. 

But it's such a sad thing that he has not got many characters to act. Just a few. He did this role of an orphan son trying to find glimpses of his dead mother.  But the film was about the star Krishma Kapoor and noone noticed Rajit. He was just an ordinary character, the role was of the narrator but it ended up becoming that of a side actor. Benegal sold his soul to commercial cinema with this venture.  Anyways the film didn't do that well though it was nicely made even though Krishma Kapoor acted badly.  Because she wasn't an actor,  she was a heroine.

Anyways Rajit got shortchanged and he must have refused any other such petty roles. He did a good one in Ghulam where he was the corrupt right hand of the local goon and the elder brother of Amir Khan. What do you expect,  such a solid role and he got miniaturised against the star Amir Khan. Supposedly AN INTELLIGENT ACTOR.  Actually not really.  He is just different from a Salman or Shahrukh but that doesn't make him intelligent.  If you don't do dumb that doesn't make you intelligent.  You might be just an average actor.

So if there is a parallel universe where art and serious life films were blockbusters whereas comic and masala films were art work.  Then Rajit Kapur could have been a star or if he had good handsome hunk like looks,  with the ability to dance and move his mouth with music,  he could have been a star.  But he is so ordinary, so common, infact that's the role he portrays the most.  Of an actor not a hero.  Just an actor that becomes the character.