Setting aside his bitter experiences of working on small screen after his debut serial Maharana Pratap got stuck, actor Vinod Khanna, a comeback man with Mere Apne feels that the character he portrays in the serial is "within his field of experience" and will help him connect with the audience.
"The character of Kashinath which I portray in the serial is within my field of experience and also I think that I am doing justice to the role," says the 62-year-old veteran actor, whose small screen presence is receiving wide acclaim.
The actor-turned-politician, who began his career as villain in Sunil Dutt's Man Ka Meet, says, "Once I decided to make a comeback in acting and utilize my time, offer for Mere Apne came and the role was so good that I could not say 'no'."
"There is the money, of course," quips the actor about his conscious shift to television medium, adding, "I felt the need to justify the demands of my fans who have been asking to see more of me."
The role of Kashinath, which Khanna portrays in the Mere Apne serial, is the saga of a person who is powerful in the society but is a soft-spoken father.
Comparing the silver screen with small screen, the actor, whose last movie Risk did not perform well at the box office, says, "Commitments in films are different from serials. In movies you can shift the dates but in serials you can't as episodes have to continue."
"Even I was apprehensive about the reaction from the TV audience and my fans but the positive reaction I am getting at present is really surprising," says the actor.
Vinod Khanna represents Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency and has been active in the political arena since he joined Bharatiya Janata Party in 1997.
The Gurdaspur MP, however, says, "When it comes to politics it would definitely take a front seat but without disturbing the acting career."
Vinod Khanna as a father of two Bollywood stars Rahul Khnna and Akshaye Khnna, shares, "I am looking forward to work with my sons but the two will not work with me unless they get their kind of role in the movie."
The veteran actor, who was awarded with Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999, has two films in his kitty; one is an untitled movie by Boney Kapoor with Salman Khan and another by Anjum Rizwi.
Oscar awards, according to Khanna, "give Bollywood a chance to compete with the best. But to avoid controversies, the body for selecting nominations should be constituted by bureaucrats and selected people from the film industry, who could not be manipulated."
Khanna also shares his happiness to comeback at this 'juncture' as, "the present era is dominated by 'multiplex culture' and the chances for a movie to be flop is rare. The movie finds its own audience."
http://www.screenindia.com/news/I-couldnt-say-no-to-Mere-Apn e/280154/
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