Mumbai: Veteran actress Neena Gupta shared that they all looked up to actor Pankaj Kapur during their time in the National School of Drama. During one of the episodes of the popular celebrity chat show "Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai", where Pankaj Kapur was the guest, Neena Gupta revealed that their first impression of him during the NSD days was of an extremely committed actor who works really hard.
Neena said that they were of the opinion that if they wanted to be good actors, they must learn from Pankaj. The 'Panchayat' actress was heard saying, "When we first came to know about Pankaj Kapur during our time at the National School of Drama, as he was our senior, it was like - "Just look at him, he is such a committed actor, he works so much, you should learn something from him." So we were really impressed by him. We believed that if we wished to be actors, we must learn from him what commitment and hard work are all about."
She added that Pankaj Kapur is not only committed towards his work, but is also committed towards his family. For those who do not know, Neena and Pankaj got a chance to work together in the 1983 satirical black comedy, "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro".
Made under the direction of Kundan Shah and produced by the NFDC, the film enjoys an ensemble cast with Naseeruddin Shah, Ravi Baswani, Om Puri, Pankaj Kapur, Satish Shah, Satish Kaushik, Bhakti Barve, and Neena Gupta in significant roles, along with others.
It might be interesting to know that the English drama, "Blow-Up", helmed by Michelangelo Antonioni, was an inspiration for a part of "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro". The movie is a satire on the rampant corruption in various sectors of the country, such as politics, bureaucracy, news media, and business.