Rakesh Bapat--I'm a Eye Candy-Article

What are you doing in an all-woman serial Ek Packet Umeed? (Laughs) I'm the eye candy. Jokes apart, you learn a lot when you're working with distinguished actresses like Neena Kulkarni and Sulbha Deshpande. As for my role, I play a happy-go- lucky orphan who finds love at Umeed Bhavan when he meets the daughter of the house dean. But he's too shy to express his feelings for her. What drew you to the show? I have loved all the shows made by Hats Off Productions like Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai and Khichdi. Aatish Kapa- dia, the writer, is very talented. That's why I accepted the project as soon as the narration was over. The USP of the show is that it is real. You actually end up laughing and crying with the actors. How appealing is a weekly in this era of dailies? Dailies have become predictable. Even though Ek Packet Umeed is a weekly, if you give the viewers something dra- matic they will keep coming back. It is easy for us too because we shoot two scenes in a day, which is unheard of in today's scenario. Where is your Saat Phere role going? I have no clue. Personally, I want them to knock me out as the Sadma track is over. Saloni has recovered her memo- ry. There is no need for me to hang around. Your film career never really took off. I agree. After Tum Bin which was a sur- prise hit, I could not work in other pro- duction houses due to contractual obli- gations with T-Series. By the time I was free, I lost out on all the good roles. Also, I made a few wrong choices. I have learnt from my mistakes and hope to return to Bollywood soon. By staying on television aren't you harm- ing your prospects? I don't think so. Even big stars are doing television. Let's face it, the idiot box is really big today. Are you working towards building a six- pack? I have no choice. It's sad but when you go looking for work, producers are only interested in your waist and chest measurements, not your talent. You're quite the playboy. So, who are you dating now? After a series of affairs, I am happy being single. Getting into a relation- ship distracts you from your main course. Painting, sculpting and horse-riding take up all my free time.