Hari Bansha Acharya is a name every household is familiar with, but if you mistook this versatile man as just a comedian then you must get reacquainted with the man once more. As an actor, comedian, singer, writer, and an inseparable part of the MaHa Jodi, Acharya’s works are gems that we just can’t get enough of.
His TV shows like Lal Purja, Pandra Gatey, Bhakundhe Bhoot were enjoyed a lot by the masses, easily making him a crowd favorite even today. The old hits like Hamri Aama, Sajha Bus Ma Jo Pani Chadcha, Sarangi Retaula are still watched today and the vibe remains the same. He had actually never left our hearts when, with the publication of his first book ‘China Harayeko Manchhe’ and now another fictional work ‘Hari Bahadur’, he carved a permanent place there with his self deprecating humor and quick wit.
But Acharya says that he will always be a performer first. “My first performance got me a gold medal and I thought if I was good at it, I might as well continue,” he says. However, he had to prepare scripts for his acts and write for that. He wrote all of his plays himself, whether it was theater, television or a radio program.
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Doing this, he confesses, made writing an integral part of his life much before he even thought of writing a book. “But writing so much did plant the seed of writing a book in my mind and now I have two books published,” says Acharya. His first book ‘China Harayeko Manchhe’ is an autobiographical work where he talks about his childhood memories, fantasies, and struggles during his adolescence whereas his second book ‘Hari Bahadur’ is a portrayal of the journey of a clever and cunning person.
Acharya says that he doesn’t follow any particular writing style or methodology. “My creations are the continuous flow of my ideas,” he says. He first plots the entire script in his head and then gradually finds himself transforming the thoughts into a story on paper. “Sometimes the end result is very different to how it had initially shaped in my mind,” he adds. But there is no denying that, however it turned out, he managed to win the hearts of his fans once more.
“My creations are my children. Whether it is a TV or radio show or a play or a book, the happiness I get from completing a work is indescribable,” he says. Though always the one to value good work over anything else, he confesses that it was initially hard to sustain a living by doing just theater. “It wasn’t just monetary issues that made life in theater difficult. But there was a lack of freedom that made it hard to present sarcastic comedy on stage,” he explains narrating an instance of how once he had to run from the police after staging a show.
But Acharya stuck to his passion and has come a long way. With two books under his belt, he is now planning to work on a book with his friend/colleague, Madan Krishna Shrestha. This book, he says, will be a compilation of all their hit comical plays and shows. “We believe the book is a gift to other artists so that they will be able to present the scripts on stage if they want,” says Acharya adding that he is also planning to produce a movie in the future.
Acharya might have many feathers on his cap but he firmly believes in doing only one thing at a time and giving it your best. He himself implies this theory while working and the consequences are there for all of us to see. “Success is more about routine and discipline than moments of chance,” he says.
(The Week Bureau)
