Nobody has ever asked for my Kundali’

Manoj Bidwai created quite a stir recently when it was reported that he was sacked by Balaji Telefilms after Ekta Kapoor found out that his kundali didn't match hers making him ineligible to work with her. Manoj however is keen to let the world know his side of the story. He would rather prefer to work hard and be recognised for his acting rather than be talked about for his so called war with Ekta Kapoor. He vehemently denies all the talk.
"There's no truth in it. Nobody from Balaji has ever asked for my kundali. All these rumors are just created by the media," he says.

Then what was the reason behind his sudden exit from Kyun Ki Saans Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi ? "They wanted me to play the negative role (of Abir). But my good looks became a deterrent and I couldn't play a convincing villain. From any angle, I wasn't looking like a villain," he clarifies.

But didn't Balaji check this before selecting him. "They surely may have considered the idea. Their make-up man tried hard to make me look like a villain, but failed," he answers . But things took a serious turn when Ekta lashed back by saying that she doesn't need to ask for the kundali of a character actor, when she has never asked Smriti Irani, Sakshi Tanwar or other lead actors for theirs.

Won't this be a setback? "I, as an actor obviously feel bad about such a comment. She must have read the papers and felt that I must have made those comments. I think she has just reciprocated to the reports the media blew out of proportion. I hope the misunderstanding is cleared very soon," he says hoping for the best.

He wishes that the episode won't affect his career in a negative way. "I sincerely think it doesn't affect me in any way," he says positively. He even doesn't rule out the possibility of working with Balaji again. "Definitely. Why not? I know my heart is clear and I haven't made any comments about Ekta (Kapoor). No actor would ever say no to a Balaji serial. Ekta does full justice to each and every character in her serials," is all Manoj would say.
Manoj has his future strategies in place and seemed to have learnt his lesson.

"I will be more careful while talking to the media. They unnecessarily add things on their own without considering the after effects of bad rumours on a person's life. I just want to keep on working. I have done a South film with the production company Nimbus. Talks are going on for a Hindi film with director Subbu, who has also directed me in a pilot episode of Arranged Marriage . At present, I am shooting for a serial named Shaadi Street produced by Deepti Bhatnagar. It's going to be aired on Star. Talks are in progress for a serial with another production house also," he signs off. (Sampurn)

deccan.com