Paresh Rawal recalls hitting a person’s head with a stone: 'Couldn’t stop myself, went into the direction…'

During a performance of the play Pratishodh, Paresh Rawal was subjected to repeated vulgar comments from certain audience members. The actor's patience was tested, leading him to confront the disruptive individuals and physically engage with them. While he stands by his actions in this instance, Rawal expressed regret over a separate incident where he struck another viewer with a stone. He reflected on the nature of his anger and also discussed the temperamental nature of his father.

Paresh Rawal Recounts On-Stage Confrontation

Paresh Rawal recalled the time he was performing in Pratishodh and said, "I couldn't stop myself. I just went into the direction of where the sound was coming from. Somebody was making continuous, vulgar comments. There was a lot of furore over that incident. Obviously, the play got shut down that day. The theatre owners also said they wouldn't let Paresh come back and perform there."

He walked into the crowd and hit the troublemakers. "They got even more riled up that he struck and went back on stage. Then it took off," he said on Raj Shamani's podcast, adding that he struck the people three or four times, aware that going into the crowd could have backfired. The actor expressed no regrets, citing the audience members' lack of remorse.

Paresh Rawal Opens Up About Anger and Regret

Paresh Rawal reflected on a past incident where he hit someone with a stone, expressing deep regret over his actions. "I repented it a lot. Later, I went to his place, and then we became friends. Not good friends, but we became friends," he shared. The actor attributed his anger to feeling hurt, explaining, "Hurt has different reactions — either I become submissive, morose, or aggressive. But the basic emotion is hurt."

Paresh Rawal also spoke about his father's short temper, revealing that he was "more violent." Observing the current societal landscape, the actor noted that the general level of anger has increased, attributing it to uncertainty, the desire for self-assertion, and a trend of exploiting emotions. "Anger also happens when you don't get something. It's also there because of uncertainty. When will things get right? Thirdly, you want to assert yourself and prove a point that I'm also something. There's a fashion of getting hurt and angry. They feel it's a privilege, and they want to encash that. Some people may be having a reason also," Rawal said.