Actors get extra choosy!!

By A.L. Chougule

Most Bolly-wood actors slog during the initial phase of their careers but become extremely choosy when success comes their way. Now many successful television stars are also following in the footsteps of their Bollywood counterparts by getting extra choosy about their roles. Take for instance Mona Singh who shot to fame with Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin. She has not done a single serial after Jassi in the past two years. Instead, after winning the Jhalak Dikhla Jaa show she is busy hosting reality shows. Iqbal Khan shot to fame with Kaisa Yeh Pyar Hai. He was the main protagonist of Karam Apna Apna but quit the show to get married and stayed away from serials for almost a year. Akaashdeep Sehgal, better known as Ansh Gujral of Kyunki, apparently refused many roles till he was offered the lead character in Kuchh Is Tara.

There are several actors who quit serials at the peak of their popularity and have waited for months for meaty roles. Manish Goyal quit Bhabi after he discovered a dancer in him in Nach Baliye where he finished second. It's more than two years now that Manish has not been seen in any serial. Neha Mehta quit Mamta six months ago and is yet to be seen in another serial.

Roshni Chopra is on a break from Kasamh Se. While her return in the show is a matter of conjecture Roshni is busy participating in and hosting reality shows. Shweta Kwatra remained away from serials for more than a year after quitting Kahani. She returned on TV in Kumkum in a cameo which ended six months ago. But she is happy doing nothing and is waiting for a good role. Gurdeep Kohli quit Sindoor and joined Bhabhi six months later. A few weeks ago she also walked out of the afternoon daily without bothering about when the next assignment will come her way.

At a time when there is lot of competition and newcomers are walking away with lead roles in most shows, is it wise to take a break? Doesn't competition worry these actors? "Competition will always be there. It existed six years ago when I did my first show and with more people joining the acting profession it will increase further. But opportunities are also increasing with more channels entering the entertainment fray," feels Akaashdeep. He has not done more than a couple of serials in six years because Akaashdeep has always been choosy. "There is no dearth of offers but for my own growth I need to pick the best of roles," he adds.

Iqbal says after doing multiple shifts for three years he badly needed a break. "Besides, I didn't want to do any kind of work that would attract criticism. I don't bother about competition. Let others do five shows but I am happy doing one good show," he says. Iqbal further says that during his year long break he was offered lot of shows. "But all were same daily family dramas which I didn't want to do. I was looking for something really different and fresh and I didn't mind waiting for it. Chhoona Hai Aasman came my way and it was exactly the show I was looking forward to," he adds.

Mona also hasn't had a good offer since Jassi. "Nothing really exciting has come my way. It's been a conscious decision to keep away from acting because I don't want to do a regular daily," she says firmly. She also kept away from serials because she was signed for a film which didn't work out. She still nurses the dream of working in films and Mona says something positive may happen at the right time. "Otherwise I am happy anchoring shows. I am also under contract with Sony to promote their various properties," says Mona.

Manish also will not settle for run-of-the-mill shows, "I don't mind waiting for a good role for another year because I want my comeback show to be bigger and better than my previous shows," he observes.

Since television viewers have a short memory, will being out of sight for a long time not affect their recall value? "Not really," says Manish.

"There is so much of reality TV happening that most popular TV actors are seen here, there and everywhere." Mona says she is still remembered for her Jassi role. "I don't think the recall value diminishes if you remain away from serials for some time," she feels.

Iqbal puts it succinctly, "Either you keep worrying about competition and recall value or concentrate on doing what you think is best for you. I think maintaining one's exclusivity works better than over exposing yourself in a role that might harm your image."