interview Sandeep Unfazed

On Indian television's most watched soap Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, you have often seen him strutting around in the lavish Virani household, brooding over staid family matters, incessantly worrying about his children's welfare and more frequently, playing a spineless husband to an obnoxiously, irate wife. The lesser triumphant brother to Karan Virani, Sahil's lack of ambitions and failure in business makes him the object of ridicule in the parivar and he often has to face the fury of the typical tyrant Indian biwi, Trupti, who effortlessly manages to sway him into leaving a much better first wife.

But thankfully, that's just the on-screen image of the person I have interviewed. When I meet the ultra-urbane Sahil Virani played by Sandeep Baswana, the new age 'whitener-free', young and stylish father, the fourth generation of the ever-increasing Virani family, I don't detect any spill-over of his Kyunki… character. In real life, he is more outspoken, assertive and definitely has the streak to lash out in what he doesn't believe.

A debonair persona and an equally eloquent speech, Sandeep first came to Mumbai after finishing his MBA from Ghaziabad, nurturing dreams of becoming a director. "But I came to know that I had to assist somebody and that an assistant director is nothing but a glorified servant. He has to fix somebody's shoes and has to bring somebody water. I didn't find that very interesting. I didn't know what to do," he says in his husky voice.

Leaving behind his hometown and coming into the city of dreams, he didn't want to go back the way he had come. So he decided to do the next best thing. He became an actor. "That's when I got my first acting break, which was for Fair & Lovely. Then a series of ads happened. I was lucky to have got a chance to work with names like Priyadarshan and Satish Kaushik. I did around 10-15 ad films to earn my bread and butter."

But a career in acting in commercials was not worthwhile for someone who fantasised creating cinema. Sandeep had to think of an alternative, steady source of income to survive. "I was again looking out for some substantial work. Yash Tonk was doing dailies at that time. I went to meet him on the sets and that's when he suggested, 'If you are not doing anything concrete, than why don't you do some television for the time being?

It's a good way to make money.' But I didn't want to be exposed as an actor, as I wanted to be taken seriously as a director. Yet, I did a role in Kuchh Jhuki Palkain, for Balaji. My role was very small." Having done theatre and being adept at giving presentations while doing his MBA, Sandeep didn't have a tough time managing dialogues or making camera friendly expressions.

Doing commercials and cameos on television was just a strategic move to earn a living in an unknown city, till he could fulfil his directorial dreams and ambitions. Until he was called by the Czarina of television soaps herself, who offered him a role in her magnanimous production wonder. A sure shot way to fame and success.

"One day Ekta Kapoor called me and said that she liked my work very much. She asked me if I would like to do a main lead sort of a thing. I didn't know much so I said okay. I thought as far as it's giving me money, then why not?" That's how Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi happened and Sandeep came to be known as the good and obedient son Sahil. "Balaji then took me out of Kuchh Jhuki… and put me in Kamal. It was my first main show."

Sandeep talks about the hazardous working culture followed by most television actors working in our monotonous soaps. He talks about his experience when he joined Kamal. "That's when I was working around the clock, not eating properly, shaving on the sets and not sleeping right. I got to know what daily shows are all about and how difficult it can be. I didn't even realise that a couple of years had passed by. After that I did Kkoi Dil Mein Hain for a year and was doing Kyunki… alongside. That was the time I got frustrated. I had been working continuously for three-four years," says Sandeep.

What happened next was quite a shocker as Sandeep completely disappeared from the television scenario. Just when things were happening right, he left Kyunki… and his character was given to another budding star, Amit Sarin. Was he forced to leave the show? Or did the rumours that he had a fallout with Ekta have something to do with it?

Sandeep cautiously denies any such accusations. "I wanted to take a break but the production house could not give me a break as they wanted to start my track. And even in Kkoi Dil Mein Hain, there was a track between me and two other girls. So there was no way that I could take a break," he clarifies. But knowing the stringent contract system and the price to pay for the breach of a contract, especially when the production house is Balaji, it wasn't surprising that Sandeep was asked to leave both the serials.
"So that's when I asked them if I could leave. But they told me you have to leave both the shows. And that's what I wanted to anyway, as I was planning all along to make my movie, as initially I had come here to become a director and I got lost in acting." Fair enough. But why opt out of both the shows, when you can leave one show and get some free time for yourself, I pose. "They told me if you want to take a break then might as well take a complete good break. So that when I come back I can start work afresh," he rationalizes.

Rajeev Khandelwal, Iqbal Khan, or Pulkit Samrat (read his story elsewhere in this issue); all those who left Balaji unceremoniously could never make a successful comeback in Ekta's lobby. So technically, Sandeep is one of the very few actors who actually managed to return to his roots. But he begs to differ and insists there wasn't really any fallout in the first place and that he had just taken a sabbatical from the small screen.

"I never had a fallout with Ekta. It's not that I went against her or left her for something better or that I wanted to ditch her. But at the same time, I think it was very unprofessional of me. I shouldn't have taken permission to leave the show. It was a mistake and a wrong decision on my part. Within a couple of weeks' time, I had a talk with Ekta and she told me whenever you want to come back, you are most welcome. It kind of pacified me that I could enjoy my break as I was assured that I could go back to Balaji," he says.

Sandeep was lucky that he managed to get an assurance from the top boss herself that he always had something to fall back upon. And the break that he took was also well spent. "That's the time I wrote the script for my film," he says. After working day and night, it was a nice break for Sandeep who utilized the time developing his lost ambition. But there were other factors he had to take care of and this holiday phase couldn't continue forever.

"For one-and-a-half years, I was out of television. And my bank balance was going low. So I called up Balaji and asked them if they had something for me and then they offered me Kavyanjali. After then I again started playing Sahil. My character was changing then as it had different shades. It was fun to play that character. Again I was doing two serials simultaneously. Then after Kavyanjali went off air, they gave me Kya Hoga Nimmo Ka." He doesn't mind playing small characters. "It's okay with me even if the focus is not on me as that's not my forte as such."

I come to another topic in his life, the topic of 'close friend' Ashlesha Sawant and ask him what relationship he really shares with her. They have been spotted like a pair of Siamese twins flittering at parties, arm-in-arm and often getting too close for comfort. They were rumours of a misunderstanding between the couple too and so I ask him to give me the real dope behind these ups and downs in their liaison. "Ups and downs?

There have always been ups. She is my best friend and I still take that stand. We hang out together. I know Ashlesha from the time of her first serial Kamal, where she was playing my girlfriend. There have never been downs as such. The media has always spoken without confirming it with me. Even if there is anything personal happening, I won't disclose such information. We have our share of fights. Tomorrow, if Ashlesha and I break up, we will break up as friends. If we unite, we will unite as friends. You can't get into my bedroom and see what we do," he remarks strongly.

And it's not just that they are linked as a couple. It is believed that they are in a steady live-in relationship together. "We are not living in. But yes, when you are hanging out a lot with your friends, it can happen. Shabir (Ahluwalia), Akashh (Deep Saigal) and Ashlesha come and stay over at my place. Nobody is talking about my 'live in' relationships with Shabir or Akashh." he mentions derisively.

Thankfully not yet, I say and he goes on in the same tone, "I mean come on, I really don't care even if they write something about that. See, all of us are bachelors. Ashlesha stays alone and I stay alone. Sometimes when we party till late, we stay together. I go to my friends' place or they come over to mine. And then you say that we are living in. Yes, we are living in but living in the same city," the scornful tone continues.

Obviously, he hasn't taken too kindly to such baseless segment of news and is in mood to relent. Even when they had their supposed break up and when Ashlesha had gone into the depression zone, he rubbished all the reports as hogwash. "We weren't going out, seriously. I would be the first person to tell, if there was something like that. I feel very strongly about that side of mine, because it will take me a lot of time to know where I actually stand. But where I stand now, I am telling you, I don't think I will ever have a relationship or Ashlesha will have a relationship."

So is Ashlesha the 'possessive' kind? "You have to know Ashlesha; she is very chilled out. She is a modern and level-headed girl. She would never get possessive. As a friend she gives me so much space, so as a girlfriend, she will be wonderful," reveals Sandeep and goes on. "If she wants to go out, why not. I will give her advice. I'll tell her if the person she is seeing is right or wrong and I am sure she will listen to me."

With the number of reality shows based on different themes springing up on almost every channel, and the need for celebrities to feature in it, Sandeep hasn't been a part of any. It was speculated that he had been approached to participate in Nach Baliye along with Ashlesha in its third season. But they weren't seen in the show. Did they distance themselves from it as it was meant to be all about controversial couples? He denies, "No, I don't do reality shows. I would never do them. I just don't believe in such shows. I like watching reality and I like making fun, but I won't take part in reality shows."

Today, people get to know the 'real' side of their favourite stars thanks to such shows, and it is perhaps one of the best ways to get instant fame and recognition. When I ask him why he didn't want to be a part of shows like these, which also have a vast target audience, Sandeep contorts his face as it's not something he would do to get famous.

"Play a character. Why play yourself? If people want to know the 'real' me, they can come and meet me, send me an email or visit my website. People want to see celebrities making faces and pulling themselves down. That's not right. And then some three random people judge you. I don't want to be judged. Why should I be judged? I think I am the best dancer. Just because I don't fit in your 'criteria' of dancing, it doesn't mean you can give me a measly six on ten. I am ten on ten all the time, even if I dance in my own stupid way; that's my way of dancing," he fumes.

So will he never take part in say a Nach Baliye or Jhalak Dikhla Jaa? "I hope that the situation is never so bad that I have to take part in reality shows. Or I'll be eating my own words. Reality shows are a very mediocre form of entertainment, which cater to a particular segment of people. I don't want to cater to them," he says in a straightforward manner.

And what is Ashlesha's view on such entertainment? Would he step down and take part in reality drama, if she asked him to? "Why would she ask me? If she asks for my advice as a friend, I would give her that. And if she says, 'Come with me to dance,' I would take her to a party!" he jokes and then adds on a serious note.

"Tomorrow if I make a film, I will not like a critic to talk about it. If it's not a good movie people will not watch it and vice versa." As I wrap up the interview, I realize Sandeep bizarrely sounds almost like filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, when he tells me that he believes in doing things for 'himself' rather than others. But then all great minds think alike, don't they!

*By Purvaja Sawant