'Films are a break from TV's monotony'

Q For almost two years you were not seen in a major role on any general entertainment channel. Were you on a sabbatical from serials?
nothing really good came my way during that period. My last major show was Fear Factor which I had anchored in early 2006. last year I had done a comedy called Full Toss based on cricket for a sports channel. But I didn't do a regular television drama series and kept myself busy with Hindi and regional films like Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena, Just Married and Krishna, which was a huge hit in Andhra Pradesh.

Q Didn't the success of Krishna bring you more offers from the Telugu film industry?
Of course there have been offers but after working with a director like V. V. Vinayak I am waiting to hear from some good directors and big banners. Having done a hugely successful Telugu film as my debut, I want my next film to match the success of Krishna and therefore am waiting for better offers.

Q Is your role in Kumkum exciting enough for you to return to a daily soap?
There was a time when television was getting monotonous and I was bored of doing the same stuff over and over again. films were a good break for me from TV's monotony. In fact, I have always played the sweet, nice and romantic guy in serials and films. But in Krishna as well as a Bengali film that I did I played an anti-hero and enjoyed the change. In Kumkum too I am playing a negative character that is connected with Kumkum's past and has returned to rekindle his love.

Q Pulkit is said to be an obsessive lover and wants Kumkum at any cost? Did you accept the role because it is negative?
Yes, Pulkit is obsessed with Kumkum because they were in love during their college days but she got married to the Wadhwa scion. He was heart-broken but he moved on in life and is now back with obsessive emotions. He wants Kumkum back in his life and is a threat to her husband Sumeet's life. I accepted the role because it is negative and has a different line of emotions. There is a lot of scope to perform in negative roles because you get to play with your expressions and body language.

Q Do you think positive roles limit an actor's potential to perform?
That depends on the medium. I think it does to a certain extent. Or at least in my case, positive roles didn't permit me to exploit my potential to the extent I would have liked. Even in films where I played the good guy there wasn't enough opportunity to bring out the best, more so because the films of the 90s were typical formula films. Today's cinema is quite different and highly experimental.

Q How do you find serials then? Aren't they stuck in a formula?
Of course they are. In terms of scripts and innovation, television still has a long way to go. In fact, as a viewer I find it a bit difficult to connect with most family dramas. I belong to the days of Buniyaad and Hum Log. I think the best serials were made in the 80s and 90s.

Q Did you ever identify with the characters you played in dailies?
Not much. In Bhabhi I could neither connect with the show or the character. The character was already set by someone and I replaced him, which put a limit on exploring the role in a different way. Even in Chand Ka Tukda I couldn't relate to the role. But I enjoyed doing K Street Pali Hill because the show had elements of thrill and suspense. I also had a great time doing Kaalchakra. But Fear Factor was the best show I did because it had action and adventure. In fact, I love action and adventure shows because I am a trained commercial pilot with 350 hours flying experience.

Q When did the acting bug bit you then?
In the early 90s there were no private airlines like we have today. So the job opportunities were very limited. I had joined Sahara airlines then but things didn't work out. At that time my brother Rahul was a well known model and actor and he asked me to try my hand in modeling. Things started working out for me and soon I was into modeling and television serials. But a break in films came with Dastak and soon I was signed up for as many as 20 films, which I finished in four years

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