Rashi & I want to enjoy for a while-Vishal

Rashi And I Want To Enjoy Each Other For Some More Time

That TV stars have always eyed Bollywood as their next stop is a known fact. But making a shift from films to a daily soap is a rare step. So when Vishal Malhotra decided to move out of his comfort zone and take up Kuch Toh Log Kahenge, it was bound to arouse curiosity. Especially so because the actor had always maintained that he was averse to being a part of daily soaps. But life had other plans for him. Today, as he plays the colourful character of Dr. Ranganath on the show, the actor is hoping to get the same love the audiences gave him for his previous roles. Why Doesn't Want To Start A Family!

Any kind of career move is a big risk. More so, for an actor like Vishal, who had never thought that he'd turn to dailies. Ask him what changed his mind and he is quick to put his point across, "It's not like I didn't want to be a soap actor but I always thought that I didn't have the capability to do it. I have the highest respect for TV actors because they can go to the same set every single day. Whatever work I have done till now has been quite diverse. So I didn't want to commit to something for 30 days in a month, where I couldn't do anything else. But with Kuch Toh… I am working only 15 days a month. Besides that, I could identify with the character as opposed to other shows on TV that are primarily women-centric. I didn't want to associate myself with those shows."

Considering he must have put a lot of thought before taking this decision, there ought to be something exemplary about his role in Kuch Toh... that made him sign it. Quiz him on that and he reveals, "Let's just say that my character brings colour to a black and white scenario. I don't mean to glorify my role but that is exactly what it is all about. When you think of a hospital, you think drab and dull. And then you have my character which is light-hearted and spreads love on the show."

Since he plays a doctor who is quite the flirt on the show, I ask him if he enjoys playing such roles and he laughs, "I don't know why but people just write such roles for me. Maybe because that's what they think of me. It obviously doesn't work for me after marriage na!"

It's been a while since the audience saw the actor on the big screen. So was the lack of good roles in Bollywood the reason he turned to TV full time? "Not at all," he corrects me. "I would never do something so stupid. I'm aware of the fact that I don't choose my roles be it Bollywood or anywhere else. In fact, nobody does that unless you're a Shah Rukh Khan. I do not consider myself a huge star or even someone who can sit down and dictate terms and say, 'Hey, that's my role'. I don't want to spend my entire life waiting for things. I want to grab opportunities as they come. I don't want to look back and regret anything. I agreed to do this because I just thought this was a great opportunity that came my way."

It is obvious that for Vishal, Kuch Toh... was a very tempting offer to be turned down. But speaking of Bollywood, not too long ago, the actor went on record saying that he didn't have the clout to demand the main role in a film. Isn't that underestimating oneself a tad too much, considering he has been in the industry for quite a while now? "If you think it's underestimating then I won't argue with that. I actually have to thank you because I take that as a compliment. But if somebody had to offer me a hero's role, by now they would have. I've been around long enough. I'm not trying to be negative. I do not think I would be offered a single hero film. That might seem like I'm hammering myself down or whatever, but I like to stick to facts because I don't live in a delusional world," he says sounding brutally honest.

Moving on to something more personal, Vishal has been married for over a year now. Ask him how life has changed post marriage and he exclaims, "Oh! It has been brilliant. People keep saying how all the freedom is taken away once you get married but on the contrary, I feel free now. I'm lucky to have a wife who understands my profession. She understands its demands and everything."

Though his wife does not belong to the industry, Vishal explains how she has always been supportive of his career from the start. "It's obvious that if you're an actor, you will be recognized in every part of the world. I respect the way she deals with such situations. It's very easy to get baffled at such times. But she is so mature. Rashi smiles and steps aside when my fans come up to me. She knows that they aren't recognizing her husband at that time but the actor in me. She has immense respect for what I do," he gushes.

A year into his marriage and the actor says that starting a family is not on the cards as of now. "I don't plan to go the family way at least for a bit. Simply because we're not ready. We want to enjoy each other for some more time. I don't want to give the excuse of work because that will always be there. But as and when God blesses us with a baby, we will be more than happy to accept it," he smiles.

Well, now that the show is slowly but surely making its progress, we're certain that Vishal will win the audience's hearts with his charming act!

*By Chandni Ghosh