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'Ekta Kapoor offered me a couple of serials after I stopped playing Om'
Actor Kiran Karmarkar tells Dhaval Roy that he is happier doing cameos and is not doing another soap
You are making a guest appearance in Saarrthi. What's your role?
• I play Bankim Ahuja, a business tycoon settled abroad, who considers Devji Goenka his guru. Bankim is really impressed with the daughter-in-law Bhoomika, because she used to be a domestic help and has become a big businesswoman now. He proposes a business deal to her. That's my role, which will be on air for three episodes.
Why did you choose such a short role, when you could get a lengthy one?
• I chose the role because producer Asit Modi is a friend and he approached me to play it. And, the channel
and my role are also good.
You also did a story in Darna Mana Hai. Why are you doing only cameos?
• I'm deliberately doing only short roles because I cannot handle the pressure of working 25 days a month. At the same time, I want to tell people that I'm still working and haven't taken retirement from acting.
How's life after Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki?
• I just took rest for four to five months, played with my kids, ghooma phira. Basically I did whatever I couldn't do when I was doing KGGK. Now I'm back to working hard.
When you announced that you were quitting KGGK, the buzz was that it was only a publicity gimmick and you'd come back...
• When I said I was leaving KGGK, people didn't believe me at first. When I left, they said that I'm going to be back. But I'm not coming back. I cannot deal with the pressure any more. I need my two to three days of rest every now and then in a month, which won't be possible if I do a soap opera.
Ekta Kapoor is known to have banned artistes who walk out from her serials. Rajiv Khandelwal, for example. Does it hold the same for you?
• I've no problems with Ekta Kapoor at all. When I told her about my issues, she understood completely. In fact, she offered me a couple of more serials after I stopped playing Om. But, I told her that it's not possible for me to do soaps any more. Whenever I turn an offer down, I do it most humbly so that no one feels that I am being too big for my boots.
Didn't quitting one of the most popular shows mean compromising on popularity too?
• I believe popularity is very transient. Your popularity is only as good as your last serial or character. If you do good work, you'll be popular, whether it's a long series or a cameo. I don't think my popularity will suffer, because I'll keep doing shows every now and then.
What projects are you working on right now?
• I have Saarrthi and two plays — Kachchey Lamhe and a complete comedy Mera Naam Joker, being produced and directed by Shubha Khote and written by Bhavna Balsaver. In films, I have two Marathi and two Hindi projects, which I cannot talk about for at least two months. So, the audiences are going to be seeing much more of me in the next three months.
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