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Hiten Tejwani is modest about his rising 'popularity and pay cheque
Piyush Roy
HITEN TEJWANI has matured. The actor who had started his career as the young and bratty 20-something boy-next-door Pratham in Kutumb five years ago, recently returned to his namesake as a suave 50-plus tycoon, post Kasautii Zindagi Kay€™s latest generation leap. Personally, the 32-year-old may have grown by only five years, but professionally it€™s been a 25-year leap. While Kutumb€™s Pratham had teenage hearts flutter, the older Pratham in a recent talk show was declared by Ekta Kapoor as €œone of Indian TV€™s latest female fantasies.€
On the sets of Kasautii, kids, teenagers, aunties and even a grandma are waiting for a pic with him. When the star actor finally emerges €"salt and peppered hair, French beard and a cream designer suit€" the gasps are audible. Hiten says it took him three hair cuts, and various colours of contact lenses and 45 minutes of makeup each day to be this sexy. But he is modest.
Like his avatar of Karan Virani (Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi), a character Hiten admits is closest to him, the actor says he is a complete family man who idolises his parents. Add to that a reputation of a devoted husband, and Hiten seems quite the ideal man. €œOnce you have an understanding partner, it€™s easier not to stray,€ he says about wife and co-star Gauri Pradhan. The duo is inseparable; they are spotted at various page-three TV parties almost every night of the week.
Hiten€™s also unpleasantly known as Eka€™s favourite replacement actor; he€™s stepped into the shoes of practically every actor who has quit her Balaji Telefilms. €œI am not a filler actor; I€™d rather see it as Ekta€™s faith in me that she thinks I can do any role,€ he justifies. Does it matter, when one hears that his pay cheque amounts to Rs 50,000 per day? €œIt€™s usually an 18-hour work day, but then I believe every actor wants to be busy. One can go on like this for maybe another two-three years, then I will slow down and start a family,€ he says
Good husband, good actor and a good star; has it all happened by chance? As Hiten puts his arms around a hassled technician or does multiple takes of a simple shot without a frown, one understands where it all comes from.
€œI don€™t meditate or take to the conventional relaxing methods; I just try to remain positive. Even if you are not a good actor, people will want to work with you if you are a good human being,€ he explains. €œThere was a scene in one of Mehmood€™s films where, even after becoming famous, he would look at the waiter€™s uniform he would wear at the start of his career.
If you keep that in mind, your attitude is never a threat.€
Piyush Roy
HITEN TEJWANI has matured. The actor who had started his career as the young and bratty 20-something boy-next-door Pratham in Kutumb five years ago, recently returned to his namesake as a suave 50-plus tycoon, post Kasautii Zindagi Kay€™s latest generation leap. Personally, the 32-year-old may have grown by only five years, but professionally it€™s been a 25-year leap. While Kutumb€™s Pratham had teenage hearts flutter, the older Pratham in a recent talk show was declared by Ekta Kapoor as €œone of Indian TV€™s latest female fantasies.€
On the sets of Kasautii, kids, teenagers, aunties and even a grandma are waiting for a pic with him. When the star actor finally emerges €"salt and peppered hair, French beard and a cream designer suit€" the gasps are audible. Hiten says it took him three hair cuts, and various colours of contact lenses and 45 minutes of makeup each day to be this sexy. But he is modest.
Like his avatar of Karan Virani (Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi), a character Hiten admits is closest to him, the actor says he is a complete family man who idolises his parents. Add to that a reputation of a devoted husband, and Hiten seems quite the ideal man. €œOnce you have an understanding partner, it€™s easier not to stray,€ he says about wife and co-star Gauri Pradhan. The duo is inseparable; they are spotted at various page-three TV parties almost every night of the week.
Hiten€™s also unpleasantly known as Eka€™s favourite replacement actor; he€™s stepped into the shoes of practically every actor who has quit her Balaji Telefilms. €œI am not a filler actor; I€™d rather see it as Ekta€™s faith in me that she thinks I can do any role,€ he justifies. Does it matter, when one hears that his pay cheque amounts to Rs 50,000 per day? €œIt€™s usually an 18-hour work day, but then I believe every actor wants to be busy. One can go on like this for maybe another two-three years, then I will slow down and start a family,€ he says
Good husband, good actor and a good star; has it all happened by chance? As Hiten puts his arms around a hassled technician or does multiple takes of a simple shot without a frown, one understands where it all comes from.
€œI don€™t meditate or take to the conventional relaxing methods; I just try to remain positive. Even if you are not a good actor, people will want to work with you if you are a good human being,€ he explains. €œThere was a scene in one of Mehmood€™s films where, even after becoming famous, he would look at the waiter€™s uniform he would wear at the start of his career.
If you keep that in mind, your attitude is never a threat.€
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