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'I'm not quitting Kasamh Se'
Ram Kapoor, better known as Jai Walia of Kasamh Se, is a heartthrob of millions. He will now be seen on the dance floor in the upcoming season of Sony's Jhalak Dikhla Ja. He tells Gauri Kohli about his role in the show, his equation with Ekta Kapoor and Indian television
Q. What made you take up dancing?
A. I wanted to break away from the serious image of Jai Walia in Kasamh Se. I was waiting for a good opportunity and I got it through Jhalak Dikhla Ja. More than me, it was my wife Gautami who was keen on me doing this show. As an actor, these are little things you can do to cope with the changing industry trends. It's been a nice experience so far. There's more fun than I thought I would have on this show.
Q. How important is Kasamh Se for you?
A. The show gave me much more than I could have asked for. I owe a lot to it and it's the closest to me. Even after four years, I feel I have a lot to give to the show and the viewers and it's my duty to do my best for it. I have also got great friends who are very close to me now during the course of the journey.
Prachi Desai and Ashwini Kalsekar are special. Prachi even came specially to see my newborn son recently and always keeps in touch despite having quit the show more than a year ago. Even though she has achieved a lot more after quitting and has done films like Rock On, she's the same person she used to be. Ashwini is like a sister and even ties Rakhi to me.
Q. Why did you not do any other show besides Kasamh Se?
A. I was aware of the danger of getting typecast through Kasamh Se and at the same time didn't want to take any risk. I decided to do take up Jhalak because it was the perfect timing for me. I see it as an opportunity wherein people will get to see the real me and it will also open up more windows. Also, I always concentrate on one thing at a time but now, I'm trying to manage my time well. I didn't take up more shows as I never had the time for it. I have been shooting for 30 days a month for the last three years. I did cameos in films like Monsoon Wedding and Hazaron Khwahishen Aisi when I had time. Unlike US TV, where they have seasonal shows, Indian TV doesn't give much time o the actors to experiment with other roles.
Q. How did you prepare yourself for Jai Walia's role?
A. I used my training in acting to my best and got into the skin of the character. I worked very hard for the first few months but settled down gradually. Jai Walia is a dream role for any actor and I was lucky it fell in my lap and I did a good job of it because it's tough for a male actor to get his dream role in a women-centric medium. And it's a bigger challenge to play a role that's unlike you.
b>Q. There are rumours you will quit?
A. They were true some time back but now they don't hold any ground. I do get bored sometimes but need to experiment with my character. When I demanded some changes in the script and the creative team did not agree, I decided to quit. But now, things have settled down and I'm continuing.
Q. How's your relation with Ekta Kapoor?
A. She's too tough to work with. There are two sides to her as a professional. She is very passionate about what she does and expects more than 100 per cent from everyone around her. She's very tough and even nasty sometimes with newcomers and respects the experienced actors. Even I have had several arguments with her on various things but we both listen to each other. There are no ego hassles. We respect each other a lot and are passionate about our work. Some people find her a tough boss while others don't.
Q. Who are your best friends in the industry?
A. Hiten Tejwani and his wife Gauri, Karan Patel, Shabbir Ahluwalia, Ronit Roy, Vikas Sethi, Rakshanda Khan and Riva Babbar.
Q. You are often compared with Ronit Roy. Your take?
A. Ronit is a good friend a good actor. Both of us have been successful in playing older characters. Even Ekta compares the two of us. We have often been nominated together in various award functions.
Q. Can we see you opposite Gautami again?
A. She has taken a break for some time to take care of our newborn son. If she signs something it has to be good. I would love to work with her after Kyunkii and Ghar Ek Mandir. In fact, one of the reasons I did Kyunkii was because Gautami was playing Tulsi at that time.
Q. What about films?
A. I have done a few but won't take a chance until it's something big. Also, these days, TV
actors get paid handsomely so there's not much of a need for me to switch.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/156466/%E2%80%98I%E2%80%99m-not-quitting-Kasamh-Se%E2%80%99.html
Ram Kapoor, better known as Jai Walia of Kasamh Se, is a heartthrob of millions. He will now be seen on the dance floor in the upcoming season of Sony's Jhalak Dikhla Ja. He tells Gauri Kohli about his role in the show, his equation with Ekta Kapoor and Indian television
Q. What made you take up dancing?
A. I wanted to break away from the serious image of Jai Walia in Kasamh Se. I was waiting for a good opportunity and I got it through Jhalak Dikhla Ja. More than me, it was my wife Gautami who was keen on me doing this show. As an actor, these are little things you can do to cope with the changing industry trends. It's been a nice experience so far. There's more fun than I thought I would have on this show.
Q. How important is Kasamh Se for you?
A. The show gave me much more than I could have asked for. I owe a lot to it and it's the closest to me. Even after four years, I feel I have a lot to give to the show and the viewers and it's my duty to do my best for it. I have also got great friends who are very close to me now during the course of the journey.
Prachi Desai and Ashwini Kalsekar are special. Prachi even came specially to see my newborn son recently and always keeps in touch despite having quit the show more than a year ago. Even though she has achieved a lot more after quitting and has done films like Rock On, she's the same person she used to be. Ashwini is like a sister and even ties Rakhi to me.
Q. Why did you not do any other show besides Kasamh Se?
A. I was aware of the danger of getting typecast through Kasamh Se and at the same time didn't want to take any risk. I decided to do take up Jhalak because it was the perfect timing for me. I see it as an opportunity wherein people will get to see the real me and it will also open up more windows. Also, I always concentrate on one thing at a time but now, I'm trying to manage my time well. I didn't take up more shows as I never had the time for it. I have been shooting for 30 days a month for the last three years. I did cameos in films like Monsoon Wedding and Hazaron Khwahishen Aisi when I had time. Unlike US TV, where they have seasonal shows, Indian TV doesn't give much time o the actors to experiment with other roles.
Q. How did you prepare yourself for Jai Walia's role?
A. I used my training in acting to my best and got into the skin of the character. I worked very hard for the first few months but settled down gradually. Jai Walia is a dream role for any actor and I was lucky it fell in my lap and I did a good job of it because it's tough for a male actor to get his dream role in a women-centric medium. And it's a bigger challenge to play a role that's unlike you.
b>Q. There are rumours you will quit?
A. They were true some time back but now they don't hold any ground. I do get bored sometimes but need to experiment with my character. When I demanded some changes in the script and the creative team did not agree, I decided to quit. But now, things have settled down and I'm continuing.
Q. How's your relation with Ekta Kapoor?
A. She's too tough to work with. There are two sides to her as a professional. She is very passionate about what she does and expects more than 100 per cent from everyone around her. She's very tough and even nasty sometimes with newcomers and respects the experienced actors. Even I have had several arguments with her on various things but we both listen to each other. There are no ego hassles. We respect each other a lot and are passionate about our work. Some people find her a tough boss while others don't.
Q. Who are your best friends in the industry?
A. Hiten Tejwani and his wife Gauri, Karan Patel, Shabbir Ahluwalia, Ronit Roy, Vikas Sethi, Rakshanda Khan and Riva Babbar.
Q. You are often compared with Ronit Roy. Your take?
A. Ronit is a good friend a good actor. Both of us have been successful in playing older characters. Even Ekta compares the two of us. We have often been nominated together in various award functions.
Q. Can we see you opposite Gautami again?
A. She has taken a break for some time to take care of our newborn son. If she signs something it has to be good. I would love to work with her after Kyunkii and Ghar Ek Mandir. In fact, one of the reasons I did Kyunkii was because Gautami was playing Tulsi at that time.
Q. What about films?
A. I have done a few but won't take a chance until it's something big. Also, these days, TV
actors get paid handsomely so there's not much of a need for me to switch.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/156466/%E2%80%98I%E2%80%99m-not-quitting-Kasamh-Se%E2%80%99.html
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