Posted:
Judges are biased in 'Nach Baliye'': Shakti Anand
(as appeared in indiatimes.com)
The host of 'Crime Patrol' on Sony and earlier seen in 'Saara Akash' with wife 'Sai Deodhar', Shakti is all set to get into the primetime slot with 'Ek Ladki Anjaani Si'. Recently seen in 'Nach Baliye'; Shakti talks to Rachna Kanwar about his current serial, his work philosophy and his disappointment on being voted out of 'Nach Baliye'.
Q. You play Nikhil in 'Ek Ladki Anjaani Si'. Tell us about your role.
First of all the serial is adapted from a Venezuelan series. I play Nikhil Samarth who owns a publishing house that has a magazine called 'Frontpage'. The story is about an 18 year old girl, a college kid. Nikhil Samarth has just fought a battle with cancer and because of the chemotherapy he can't have kids normally. So before treating this guy the doctors take his semen samples so that later they can artificially inseminate his wife and they can have children. But there is an incompatibility and the wife can't be inseminated so they look for a surrogate mother. That is the background of the serail.
Q. So is the surrogate mother that they find played by Kanchi?
No, that's not Kanchi. We find the girl but that's a different girl, but due to some misunderstanding and file exchange in the hospital, the wrong girl gets inseminated who has come for just a regular check-up.
Q. Have you seen the Venezuelan show to prepare for the role?
No, I haven't. That is what even the production people wanted me to do and I didn't want to. I didn't want to copy someone, because obviously when you see the show once, the character is going to be with you in your mind throughout. So it was what I perceived and what they told me about the character helped me to prepare for this role.
Q. In films when an actor prepares for a role, there is a clear structure of a story, a three hour script and a definite end. How do you people prepare for these central characters in serials as the script, story, scriptwriters and even the characters keep changing?
I think a person can do justification to a TV serial by doing less work. If you are doing one or two shows then its fine but if the person is doing ten shows at a time then the person won't be able to do it. He will be the same in every show; just the clothes will be different. So I have from the very start, i.e. five years ago done one show at a time. Right now also I am doing this 'Ek Ladki Anjaani Si' and I am hosting a show called 'Crime Patrol' on Sony.
Q. But doesn't that put pressure on you as your next move is dependent on the success of that particular character and serial?
It depends from person to person because some people think that it is a very volatile profession. They think that we are getting work right now so take as much as possible. I am the sort of person who is least bothered about how much work I am going to get in the future. I think to make a show successful a person has to give his total dedication to that show. People have different ways of looking at this, some do ten shows and charge the same amount of money and some do fewer and make the same amount. It comes to the same and you have job satisfaction as well.
Q. We recently saw you in 'Nach Baliye' with your wife. Your fans were disappointed when you were voted out. Tell us about the experience.
To work with so many actors like Sachin, Supriya, Archana, Parmeet ( Parmeet I have worked with earlier in 'Saara Aakash')... so many people I wanted to share the screen with as they are the veterans of the Television industry as well as cinema also. So to share the screen and the stage with them was a big thing. This was a privilege and a lifetime opportunity. I have no regrets that I lost. We spent around one and a half to two months before we came on stage so the kind of connection, involvement and love that you have for each other and knowing so many people is something that is unforgettable.
Q. But there were reports in the media that you were disappointed and were vocal about the judges being favourable to Sachin and Supriya.
See that was there from the very beginning. Its not us who felt it, everybody felt it. If the people I am working with right now are judging me after 20 years, there will be a connection. You can't deny that. Why do the one –day internationals have a specific rule that when two countries are playing the umpire has to be from a third country. If Farhan Akhtar is going to say in the very first episode that I am a great fan of yours Sachin ji, then...
Q. So you are saying that the judges were biased?
Yes, towards the seniority level, I would say so. I am not a hypocrite.
Q. Do you feel you should have been still there in the competition?
Yes, at least for the next 2-3 rounds. Not such an early exit.
Q. And now when you watch the show, whom do you think will win it?
Frankly I don't watch it now. But judging by the energy and the chemistry between Sachin and Supriya, they are the best. Among the young couples- Rajeshwari and Varun. I think the finals will be between them.
Q. Do you have any plan to get into films as that is what most TV stars crave for?
Ya, if something good comes up. But I am not dying to get into films, as I don't think they are great seeing the kind of films that are there in the market right now. I am not comfortable doing a film like 'Murder' I am not comfortable doing a film where I have to romance a co-star in a bikini or smooching scenes are there. I am not comfortable doing that. If something good comes up, a film like 'Jhankar Beats' or 'My Brother Nikhil' or 'Iqbal', they are good films, then sure, why not. Because cinema is big, frames are big, people are big, money is big, and publicity is big. I'll again be a hypocrite if I say that I'm satisfied with TV. But you should at the same time respect what you are doing. I do TV and I respect that, I give full time dedication to it. Its not that I say that I am doing television for survival but I want to get into films, nothing like that. I am not desperate for films. I m content with whatever I am doing. I want to do a good job and people should like it.
(as appeared in indiatimes.com)
The host of 'Crime Patrol' on Sony and earlier seen in 'Saara Akash' with wife 'Sai Deodhar', Shakti is all set to get into the primetime slot with 'Ek Ladki Anjaani Si'. Recently seen in 'Nach Baliye'; Shakti talks to Rachna Kanwar about his current serial, his work philosophy and his disappointment on being voted out of 'Nach Baliye'.
Q. You play Nikhil in 'Ek Ladki Anjaani Si'. Tell us about your role.
First of all the serial is adapted from a Venezuelan series. I play Nikhil Samarth who owns a publishing house that has a magazine called 'Frontpage'. The story is about an 18 year old girl, a college kid. Nikhil Samarth has just fought a battle with cancer and because of the chemotherapy he can't have kids normally. So before treating this guy the doctors take his semen samples so that later they can artificially inseminate his wife and they can have children. But there is an incompatibility and the wife can't be inseminated so they look for a surrogate mother. That is the background of the serail.
Q. So is the surrogate mother that they find played by Kanchi?
No, that's not Kanchi. We find the girl but that's a different girl, but due to some misunderstanding and file exchange in the hospital, the wrong girl gets inseminated who has come for just a regular check-up.
Q. Have you seen the Venezuelan show to prepare for the role?
No, I haven't. That is what even the production people wanted me to do and I didn't want to. I didn't want to copy someone, because obviously when you see the show once, the character is going to be with you in your mind throughout. So it was what I perceived and what they told me about the character helped me to prepare for this role.
Q. In films when an actor prepares for a role, there is a clear structure of a story, a three hour script and a definite end. How do you people prepare for these central characters in serials as the script, story, scriptwriters and even the characters keep changing?
I think a person can do justification to a TV serial by doing less work. If you are doing one or two shows then its fine but if the person is doing ten shows at a time then the person won't be able to do it. He will be the same in every show; just the clothes will be different. So I have from the very start, i.e. five years ago done one show at a time. Right now also I am doing this 'Ek Ladki Anjaani Si' and I am hosting a show called 'Crime Patrol' on Sony.
Q. But doesn't that put pressure on you as your next move is dependent on the success of that particular character and serial?
It depends from person to person because some people think that it is a very volatile profession. They think that we are getting work right now so take as much as possible. I am the sort of person who is least bothered about how much work I am going to get in the future. I think to make a show successful a person has to give his total dedication to that show. People have different ways of looking at this, some do ten shows and charge the same amount of money and some do fewer and make the same amount. It comes to the same and you have job satisfaction as well.
Q. We recently saw you in 'Nach Baliye' with your wife. Your fans were disappointed when you were voted out. Tell us about the experience.
To work with so many actors like Sachin, Supriya, Archana, Parmeet ( Parmeet I have worked with earlier in 'Saara Aakash')... so many people I wanted to share the screen with as they are the veterans of the Television industry as well as cinema also. So to share the screen and the stage with them was a big thing. This was a privilege and a lifetime opportunity. I have no regrets that I lost. We spent around one and a half to two months before we came on stage so the kind of connection, involvement and love that you have for each other and knowing so many people is something that is unforgettable.
Q. But there were reports in the media that you were disappointed and were vocal about the judges being favourable to Sachin and Supriya.
See that was there from the very beginning. Its not us who felt it, everybody felt it. If the people I am working with right now are judging me after 20 years, there will be a connection. You can't deny that. Why do the one –day internationals have a specific rule that when two countries are playing the umpire has to be from a third country. If Farhan Akhtar is going to say in the very first episode that I am a great fan of yours Sachin ji, then...
Q. So you are saying that the judges were biased?
Yes, towards the seniority level, I would say so. I am not a hypocrite.
Q. Do you feel you should have been still there in the competition?
Yes, at least for the next 2-3 rounds. Not such an early exit.
Q. And now when you watch the show, whom do you think will win it?
Frankly I don't watch it now. But judging by the energy and the chemistry between Sachin and Supriya, they are the best. Among the young couples- Rajeshwari and Varun. I think the finals will be between them.
Q. Do you have any plan to get into films as that is what most TV stars crave for?
Ya, if something good comes up. But I am not dying to get into films, as I don't think they are great seeing the kind of films that are there in the market right now. I am not comfortable doing a film like 'Murder' I am not comfortable doing a film where I have to romance a co-star in a bikini or smooching scenes are there. I am not comfortable doing that. If something good comes up, a film like 'Jhankar Beats' or 'My Brother Nikhil' or 'Iqbal', they are good films, then sure, why not. Because cinema is big, frames are big, people are big, money is big, and publicity is big. I'll again be a hypocrite if I say that I'm satisfied with TV. But you should at the same time respect what you are doing. I do TV and I respect that, I give full time dedication to it. Its not that I say that I am doing television for survival but I want to get into films, nothing like that. I am not desperate for films. I m content with whatever I am doing. I want to do a good job and people should like it.
Mangal Lakshmi
Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
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