Somashukla Sinha Walunjkar
Life as the 'other man' on television has been wonderful for Samir Soni. Samir, a graduate in Business Economics from the University State of California may have chosen an unconventional (he grew up in a family of bankers and doctors) but he knew pretty soon in life that he wanted to act. "I got my degrees to appease my parents who hung their head for a year when I was a struggling actor," he says.
Well, thanks to Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin, Samir's actually managed to grab eyeballs. Add to that another lead role in Saakshi and he's actually on a roll.
Samir's new big screen outing is Pamela Rooks' Dance Like A Man. "I play a devoted fianc who only wants to woo his lady's parents," he says. "Given my TV schedules, I am left with no time for films. Pamela has been a wonderful director and I've enjoyed doing Dance... but after that almost blink-and-you-miss-me act in Rajkumar Santoshi's China Gate, I am a bit wary about what I do."
Samir, who hit the headlines recently as the late Nafisa Joseph's ex-love, admits that after a broken marriage (to model Rajyalaksmi) he has no time for love in life. "I work 16 to 17 hours at a stretch and sometimes I'm lucky to get a day off after working for a month without break. If I were to get into a relationship I'd have to commit more time to it. I'd rather be serious about one thing at one time: now television demands all my time."
Before you dismiss Samir as a typical workaholic, the true-blue Mumbaikar confesses that he is also a major bookworm who carries books to shoots. He is trying to start a fitness regime, has learnt to give up caffeine and junk food. "A few years from now maybe someone will give me a great role in films. Until then I am content with life." Amen!