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"This was my 57th show, says actor Rituraj Singh matter-of-factly, as his track on TV show 'Laado Veerpur Ki Mardani' wrapped up, recently. Singh, who played Balwant Singh on the daily soap, began his career with a negative role in an Ekta Kapoor show on Doordarshan, 25 years ago. In an exclusive chat with BT, the actor talks about the TV industry's changing scenario, the importance of writers on the small screen and how he tasted success in films after a long time with 'Badrinath Ki Dulhania'. Excerpts...
Are you disappointed that your track in 'Laado'... is over?
I am not disappointed, but yes, a bit sad. It was a good role, but I was told right in the beginning that the track will wind up soon. Balwant Rai was an out-and-out vicious character and so, I borrowed my look in Badrinath Ki Dulhania for the show. My villainous look from the film had connected well with the masses and I knew that it would click here, too. I have realised that over the years, people have become bored of seeing me in the same look. You may be good at your work, but sometimes, when the audience keep seeing you the same way, the novelty factor ceases. That's why I am thankful that I got to play a bad father in Badrinath... and Balwant Rai in Laado... I could go as wild as I could and there were no restrictions. As an actor, you can always milk a villain's role better.
Are you happy with the way television has changed over the years?
The shooting process is faster and better now. The money is also good; earlier, we could not live off a career on television. Those days, there were around 25 actors who were considered stars on TV. Today there are a lakh actors, who are all stars. Earlier, even if we did not earn much money, we were treated like heroes and we never bothered much about money. I always felt like a star. But today's young actors and actresses have to announce their latest projects, respond to fans on social media and smartly handle all the attention they get. I used to rehearse my dialogues for days and on the day of the shoot, I would actually go to the set without the script. Also, it may sound like a clich, but scripts were considered God in those days. Now, the script changes every minute and I detest that. It's like they are asking me to cheat on my job. Hum Log, Buniyaad... these shows had good content, but now, it is just a matter of challenging yourself to be good at shoddy scripts. Having said that, the audiences are lapping up all the content on today's shows and they even reach the 1,000-episode mark. That's why I don't like the ratings system. While good shows wrap up in a few months, shows that have wedding and murder tracks repeating every few months, go on for years.
Are you disappointed that your track in 'Laado'... is over?
I am not disappointed, but yes, a bit sad. It was a good role, but I was told right in the beginning that the track will wind up soon. Balwant Rai was an out-and-out vicious character and so, I borrowed my look in Badrinath Ki Dulhania for the show. My villainous look from the film had connected well with the masses and I knew that it would click here, too. I have realised that over the years, people have become bored of seeing me in the same look. You may be good at your work, but sometimes, when the audience keep seeing you the same way, the novelty factor ceases. That's why I am thankful that I got to play a bad father in Badrinath... and Balwant Rai in Laado... I could go as wild as I could and there were no restrictions. As an actor, you can always milk a villain's role better.
Are you happy with the way television has changed over the years?
The shooting process is faster and better now. The money is also good; earlier, we could not live off a career on television. Those days, there were around 25 actors who were considered stars on TV. Today there are a lakh actors, who are all stars. Earlier, even if we did not earn much money, we were treated like heroes and we never bothered much about money. I always felt like a star. But today's young actors and actresses have to announce their latest projects, respond to fans on social media and smartly handle all the attention they get. I used to rehearse my dialogues for days and on the day of the shoot, I would actually go to the set without the script. Also, it may sound like a clich, but scripts were considered God in those days. Now, the script changes every minute and I detest that. It's like they are asking me to cheat on my job. Hum Log, Buniyaad... these shows had good content, but now, it is just a matter of challenging yourself to be good at shoddy scripts. Having said that, the audiences are lapping up all the content on today's shows and they even reach the 1,000-episode mark. That's why I don't like the ratings system. While good shows wrap up in a few months, shows that have wedding and murder tracks repeating every few months, go on for years.
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