~*Sushant's Bollywood Journey *~#15 - Page 53

Q1. What made you get into showbiz through television?

I actually started my acting career with theatre. I did that for five years. It was during one of my stage performances that I got noticed and was offered to work in television.

Q2. A lot of aspiring film actors treat television as a ladder to get into films. Comment.

It's just a mindset of actors in India. Internationally, there is no division between a film star and a TV star. They keep switching mediums every now and then. We need to bring about a change in this thought process here. For me, I am happy that I am doing films today, but tomorrow if I don't get the right kind of scripts then I will go back to TV, or even to theatre for that matter. I may also start my own theatre company or make short films.

Q3. Considering that you were one of the most popular stars on television (as Manav in Pavitra Rishta), did you foresee film offers coming your way?

Frankly yes, I was expecting something good to come my way. But in the end, I quit the show and it was not for a film offer. I wanted to go abroad and study at a film school. After I quit the show, I got offers for as much as seven movies, but it was Kai Po Che that attracted me the most.

Q4. Several television actors took the big leap before you. Name a few actors who you think made the transition successfully.

Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Shah Rukh Khan, Vidya Balan and the list goes on.

Q5. What's the difference between shooting for a TV show and shooting for a movie?

Television shows go on and on. At first, it seems all very challenging because you are in the process of developing the character, but later it all becomes monotonous. A time comes when the script doesn't seem convincing enough and that's when you stop learning and discovering. This is exactly why I bid adieu to television. But yes, in televison, you get paid on per day basis, that's a huge sum!

Q6. Has shooting for a TV show helped you to perform better as an actor?

Yes, it did. Though theatre was my first encounter with acting, TV helped me to learn and improve on my camera skills. I remember being very nervous on the first day of my television show as I had no idea about the camera. I understood my character very well, but was worried how it would translate on screen. It took me six months to understand the mechanism.

Q7. Which one is faring better in terms of content in the current scenario" Indian television or Indian films?

That's the problem! Indian television is far powerful than movies when it comes to the reach, but once you start talking about the content, then Indian television lags far behind. The day the content changes, there will be a huge revolution.

Q8. What did you like watching on television while growing up?

While growing up, I was a big fan of shows like Vikram Aur Betaaland Byomkesh Bakshi. I also used to watch (Mandira Bedi starrer)Shanti. Currently I am hooked on to Gumrah, the crime series on Channel V.

Q9. So, when you and your girlfriend (popular television actress) Ankita Lokhande watch television together, who controls the remote?

(Laughs) Ankita, and she makes me watch everything that I am not interested in watching.

Q10. Any TV show, you wish you could be a part of?

I wish I could be a part of the American comedy-drama Entourage, which chronicles the acting career of Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier), a young A-list movie star, and his childhood friends from New York City, as they navigate on unfamiliar terrain of Los Angeles.

onkar.kulkarni@expressindia.com