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'I can't see myself as a 50-year-old father!'
Manoj Bohra quits Kasautii Zindagii Kay, makes Bollywood debut.
NICOLE DASTUR
Manoj Bohra, the bad-turned-goodturned-bad again Prem of Kasautii Zindagii Kay is quitting the serial that made him a household name on television. But it's not a very easy decision, says the actor. "Leaving Kasautii... is a heartwrenching experience. I can't imagine my daily routine without Kasautii in it." But it's a decision the actor in him had to take, he says. "The time-leap just didn't convince me. I couldn't see myself playing a 50-year-old father of three! If I can't convince myself of the character, how can I convince the audience? Luckily, the director/ producer understood my professional concerns," says Manoj.
But even as one door shuts upon him, another one opens up. The actor will be making his Bollywood debut — he will be doing a cameo in Samir Seth's Fame. "I never plan my life or my career. The offer just came my way, and it sounded interesting. So why not? I'm quite adventurous by nature anyways," smiles Manoj.
However, on a more serious note, Manoj admits that Bollywood is on his agenda. "It's like graduation in high school. It's a transition: from theatre, you do television and then films. But at the end of the day, I consider my work more important than the medium through which I'm seen. I love acting, whether it's in films, on TV or on stage." Which medium does the actor find most challenging? "Theatre for sure! I s**t in my pants when I'm on stage! TV and films are like playing a war game on a videogame, but in theatre, you're on the battlefield!"
Yet, despite moving up the professional ladder, Manoj has not forgotten his smallscreen days. "I've not quit television per se. I probably never will. I am most grateful to this medium for the success it has showered upon me." Even as he sums up his professional life at this stage as "a series of fortunate events" and says he still doesn't know exactly where he's heading — "I leave the house with a prayer, I do my work and the rest is left to grace" — Manoj is excited about his second wedding. Yes, to his wife Teejay Sidhu again. "We'll be leaving for the US soon for our "wedding season part two", he chuckles, adding that he'll also be busy reviving his play which will be touring abroad in July.
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