Interview of RAKESH BAPAT--NEEL

H e's the stylish, manipula- tive and deceptive Neel of Saat Phere (Zee). Today, he has managed to gain brownie points with the viewers. Though his track is almost over, Rakesh Bapat has been noticed. He says, "An actor has a life span.. my time is over. I loved doing Saat Phere because despite being a woman- centric show, I had ample oppor- tunity to perform. "Even today, people tell me to stay away from Saloni (enacted by Rajashree Thakur). It's nice to know that my character is taken seriously ." He boasts about his new look, "I'm a stylish guy off screen. My designer Neeta Malhotra worked out my look for the show. Televi- sion doesn't offer the liberty of showcasing one's personal style." He's now considering another show with the same production house, "I'm in talks for Saathi Re (Star One). I might take it up. "My role will have grey shades. I'm quite thrilled about it. Today, television is dominated by woman- centric shows. It means that posi- tive male characters are reduced to mere props. Whereas, negative roles are performance oriented." After an unsuccessful film career he turned to television. He smirks, "I made several mistakes. I didn't plan my career well. I didn't have a godfather or a star parent to push me. My dad was from the armed forces. I couldn't handle films. Ultimately one has to learn to survive.. make the right moves. "Earlier, I thought television wasn't my forte. I reluctantly took it up to earn my bread and butter. Now I'm enjoying it." He doesn't wish to go back to films anymore. He retorts, "Films are meant for star kids or 18-year- olds today. There's no place for in- betweens. I'm not banking my hopes on them. I'm satisfied with television." He's quick to add, "I'm doing a Canadian film If I could love you more. It's a romantic film. I'm the only Asian in the film. The pro- ducers approached me after watch- ing Saat Phere."