TOI:TRP Trippers take a U turn-Anita

TRP-TRIPPERS TAKE A U-TURN

Once their Bollywood dreams crash,prime time superstars return to their familiar ground

Shruti Jambhekar


They were Tellytown heartthrobs till they waltzed into the world of glitz and glam in Bollywood.Meet the movers and shakers of the small screen,who tried making inroads into the big screen.Picture this,we have popular telly hotties like Eijaz Khan,Amir Ali,Anita Hassnandani,Aamna Sharif,Shweta Tiwari,Manav Gohil,Shweta Salve,Sakshi Tanwar,Aman Verma,Nausheen Ali Sardar et al who tried their luck in films and failed to hit the BO jackpot.Net result: Most of them are looking for a second chance on telly shows again.While Prachi Desai and Rajeev Khandelwal small screen imports who got lucky in B-Town are still trying to get their toehold in Bollywood films,the newer add-ons to the list of telly migrants to Hindi films are Kulraj Randhawa (Yamla Pagla Deewana),Aditya Narayan (Shaapit),Tia Bajpai (Haunted),Roshni Chopra (Vikram Bhatts untitled next),Karan Singh Grover (with Diana Hayden) and Ranvijay Singh.The oft asked question remains : Why is the Bollywood dream so elusive for Tellywood stars Industry insiders feel that prime time TV stars become such staple faces thanks to their every day appearance in our homes that they lose the novelty factor when they take their first big screen bow.Thats just where a rank newcomer scores over them.Aditya,a reality show TV anchor confesses that while his debut film gave him good exposure,it didnt do well at the BO.So now when Aditya is not shooting for his new TV show,hes reading film scripts and this time around will do a lot of thinking before he signs his next! Aamir Ali who recently played an important role in I Hate Luv Storys,feels One wrong move can spoil your chances in B-Town.On TV,you can take a risk and still make a comeback,no one gives you a second chance in films.
Moving from television to films is sometimes not as easy as it seems to be.Perky Kulraj Randhawa took a small break after her TV show Kareena Kareena,did a few Punjabi films and starred in the superhit film Yamla Pagla Deewana opposite Bobby Deol.She says,The journey from TV to films wasnt a cakewalk.One has to be patient and wait for right opportunities.I took up regional films and only when I felt confident I joined mainstream Bollywood films.
So what do TV producers have to say about the phenomenon Actorproducer JD Majethia says,When one is competing with established stars,one needs to give 200 per cent to be successful,which is tough.It is difficult for an established TV star to create a space of ones own in a film industry which already has bigger names ruling the roost.
Once their tryst with movies comes to nothing,they take a step back to their familiar territory television.Anita Hassnandani whos done some Hindi and Telugu films has returned on small screen with Anhoniyon Ka Andhera.Anita says,Television has always made me feel welcome.I feel TV is a more challenging medium compared to films and theres a lot of scope for groW*H for an actor.
Once the big screen dream fizzles out,the small screen suddenly seems like a more lucrative and challenging medium for most TV stars.The world of showbiz indeed has its own share of surprises in store.
shruti.jambhekar@timesgroup.com