And the Jagran Film Festival’s red‑carpet buzz faded as Paresh Rawal, clutching a copy of Pastt Tense, took the stage. He wasn’t there for a promotional spiel; he was there to own the room with a confession that sent the audience’s phones buzzing.
He laughed, then leaned in like a friend spilling secrets over chai: out of more than 250 films, he only remembers the good ones—exactly 11. He names Sardar (1993), a biopic that made him sweat the small stuff, and the giddy 2000 hit Hera Pheri, where his comedic timing still crackles.
The list also dives into the gritty: Dacait (1987) – his favorite villain role that taught him the art of menace without the moustache‑and‑beard cliché. He called out the stale caricatures, saying 1980s antagonists were so ridiculous the audience had to laugh to survive.
While Rawal’s candidness lit up the room, it also stirred old legal drama. Akshay Kumar’s Rs 25 crore notice over Hera Pheri 3 had Rawal’s name at the center. He brushed it off as a contractual spat, calling it an “emotional reaction” and saying he’d return whenever the film takes shape again.
And beyond the legal circus, Pastt Tense is the new headline. The film, featuring Aditya Rawal, Ananth Mahadevan, and Tannishtha Chatterjee, promises to be Rawal’s next chapter after a career that has spanned four decades. Fans can already taste the mix of nostalgia and fresh beats the veteran is cooking up.