TOI: Men ask me if i m interested-Daksh

Says model-turned-actor Dakssh Ajit Singh, who plays a homosexual character, the first ever on the small screen

Your reaction when you got the role of a homosexual in "Maryada...Lekin Kab Tak?"
Frankly, my first concern was the portrayal of the character. In Indian cinema, homosexuals are depicted as non-serious and funny. Thankfully, the creative team of the show will not be handling my character insensitively.

They are making no attempts to establish the track of homosexuality through the language or the way I dress up in the show. Abhi tak kuch aisa nahin dikhaya ki audience ko lage ki main homosexual hoon. The team is looking at exploring the emotional aspect rather than a physical relationship of the character. Kyun koi ek insaan kisi ke itne kareeb ho sakta hai. It's about how I'm emotionally involved with another man and can't connect with others. My parents, who know nothing about homosexuality, will learn about it from the show.

Have people ever asked you for sexual favours?
Bombay mein agar kisi bande ke kandhe pe haath rakh ke chalo, toh logon ko lagta hai ki gay hi honge dono. But that's not true always. Punjab mein hum chalte hi aise hain. As a Punjabi, main toh abhi bhi doston ke saath aise hi chalta hoon. Mumbai mein logon ki mentality aur hai. The key reason for this is awareness about homosexuality. Mumbaikars are too frank to discuss this. I had recently gone to Goa with a male friend, and had uploaded a photo with him at a beach. In that photo, I had kept my hand on him. And ever since I uploaded that snap, people have been asking me 'Kya baat hai ji?' Jiska dimaag udhar chalegaa woh waise hi sochegaa.

You've worked as a model. In the industry many pretend to be gay to get work...
Yes, it's true, and this is also the reason why I quit modelling. Yeh bahut hai fashion industry mein compared to what one gets to see in showbiz. It's common to meet people who'd say, 'Compromise karna padega'. I've seen boys who became homosexuals for work. Now they are absolutely comfortable with it. They are not bothered, whether it's about spending time with a girl or a boy. I've seen them change for professional reasons. This is really sad. So many come to Mumbai to make it big and when they feel there's nothing much to be achieved without resorting to such means, they give in.

Have you been approached?
Yes! Men ask me if I'm interested. Kitni baar toh Facebook pe hi message aa jata hai – 'Do you want to have a good time?' 'How much do you charge?' 'I'll pay you.' It is more like asking a prostitute, 'Chalti hai kya?' These things do happen in Delhi, but not in other northern regions.

You're the first gay on TV...
Yes, I know what it means! My effort will be to do justice to the role and perform it with responsibility and conviction. I've been asking my friends for their opinion and they all feel it's a challenging role. Since I'm the first person on the small screen to do this role, I can't take it lightly. I hope the message – If you can't accept homosexuals, it's fine. But make sure you don't thrust your ideas on them – is accepted by the audience. I'm happy that viewers have evolved over the years and are ready to accept such issues. TV I believe is not just a medium for entertainment but also education.