Supernaturally naturalActor Rithvik Dhanjani is currently portraying the role of a werewolf in MTV's supernatural show, FanaahAt a time when all things supernatural on tube were limited to ridiculously dressed witches' and wizards' trying to either mesmerise children with a magic crystal ball or scaring them away with a face that held endless layers of pancake, came a first-of-its-kind show,
Pyaar Ki Yeh Ek Kahaani, that acquainted the audience with fiction with a difference.
A vampire whose personality endeared rather than alienated and a werewolf whom girls chased instead of the other way round. That werewolf soon metamorphosed into the ideal son when he went on to do the daily soap, Pavitra Rishta. Well, if you still didn't get the hint, we are referring to Rithvik Dhanjani who, once again is back to doing what he does best. Portraying the role of a werewolf on-screen.
While throwing light on his character in MTV's Fanaah, he shares, "It is a supernatural show wherein I play a werewolf, Vidyut. The role is way beyond the realms of anyone's imagination. The character is constantly struggling between his human emotions and animal instinct. Such a concept has never been shown on Indian television yet."
Since Dhanjani has already been a part of a youth-based show along similar lines, we wonder why he chose to take up the show. "Vidyut's character challenged me as an actor. The genre of both shows might seem alike, but the storylines are poles apart. I instantly gave a nod to the role as I felt the character was beautiful in its own way," reveals he.
Rithvik takes us back in time and tells us why acting was meant to be for him. "Ever since I was 15 years old, acting was on my mind. I always desired to entertain people. When an actor graces the screen, he becomes immortal. He becomes God to people and holds within himself the power to make them laugh when he laughs and cry when he cries. Not every actor is capable enough to engage the audience in such a way, but I endeavoured to do that and perhaps, that became my driving force."
Dhanjani never once forgets that television gave him fame among the masses, but like most actors he too wants to recreate the magic of his talent on the silver screen. And why not, when he has got act' in an actor and moves that can give any professional a run for his money. He doesn't want to do films for the "heck of doing it" though. "I am not against mainstream cinema, but I think realistic cinema has its own charm. The character has to be meaningful. As an actor, I prefer a
Rang De Basanti or a
Shahid over out-and-out commercial entertainers."
Having experimented with youth-based shows, reality shows and dailysoaps, Rithvik has honed his acting as well as dancing skills to the T. "Reality shows came my way due to the exposure I got through the drama-based show and youth-based shows that I had up my sleeve. I can't choose one over the other. It is an amalgamation of all three genres that proved to be a game changer for me in a pleasant manner," quips the actor.
He says that he hasn't had it easy, but his firm belief in himself landed him where he always envisioned being. He isn't focused on upping the TRP game, rather he believes in setting a benchmark that will place him in a different league altogether.
-SAHIBA CUCCRIA
Daily Post newspaper (Chandigarh edition) | July 29 2014http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=111897&boxid=57044&uid=&dat=2014-07-29
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