Artical- The 'Big' Crossover

As more and more small screen superstars take the big screen plunge, AT finds out what next

It's the most obvious route. Small screen's brightest stars are seldom content with their soapy success and often want to explore opportunities on 35 mm. Television is seen as a detour to films.

Even though television's successful imports to Bollywood - Aman Verma, Amarr Upadhay , Anita Hassandani, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi, Arif Zakaria, Mandira Bedi - et al haven't really found filmi glory yet, that hasn't prevented a new bunch of stars to think Bollywood. Mona Singh, for example , is training to get into an hour-glass shape and is brushing up her Hindi for a career in films.

Ditto for Sanjeeda Sheikh, Nausheen Ali Sardar, Aamna Shariff , Eijaz Khan, Sonal Saigal, Rajeev Khandelwal and Karishma Tanna who have shifted attention to films.

Chetan Hansraj who's done cameos in Asambhav, has just completed a Telugu film and admits that, "market has opened up for TV actors now. Apart from money, big screen fame is heady.

I enjoy doing films," he says. Sanjeeda Sheikh who's doing two prime time shows ( Kayamath and forthcoming Nach Baliye3 ) has been offered some films but she firmly points out, "Everyone dreams of working in Bollywood. I want to be in films too. But I will never quit television because that's where I started from. I'd rather do TV soaps than a cameo or a C grade film."

For small screen heartthrob Eijaz Khan (who's played the lead in TV shows Kya Hoga Nimmo Ka and Kavyanjali ), films are what he'd like to do. Eijaz started off doing cameos in Maine Dil Tujhko Diya, Zameen and Just Married and is playing the lead in Meerabai Not Out . But he sounds cautious, "Films just happened to me. I wanted to take a break and I got an offer for films too at the same time. The other offers are still in the pipeline, so I don't want to talk about it."

Rajeev Khandelwal who's essayed lead roles in Kahin To Hoga, Time Bomb and Left Right Left has been approached by hard-hitting filmmaker Anurag Kashyap for his new production. Rajeev is tight lipped about his films. Sonal Saigal, who played an important role in Sara Akash and the lead role in Hotel Kingston, is wrapping up Nagesh Kukunoor's Aashayein opposite John Abraham and claims to have given up on television for "now" . Others like Aamna Shariff, Karishma Tanna and Nausheen Ali Sardar have also taken a "break" from TV to chase their Bollywood dreams.

Not everyone's willing to take the big screen plunge though. Hiten Tejwani (who's played important roles in Jogger's Park, Anwar and Krishna Cottage) and Shabbir Ahluwalia (Shootout At Lokhandwala) are more comfortable doing television. Hiten Tejwani points out, "I don't have a godfather in the film industry who'll offer me good roles on a platter. I wouldn't say 'no' to good films, but I like television."

And if some of these big screen treks turn out to be box-office winner then expect more such cross-overs .