Shivaji Satam aka ACP Pradyuman Info Thread - Page 12

Actor Shivaji Satam will never like to be a part of saas-bahu daily soaps because he believes these shows are not real

Kashika Saxena

   There is one show on Indian television, which has not just survived the era of the saas-bahu soaps and reality shows, but also managed to hold on to its loyal viewers. Relentlessly on air for the last 14 years, "CID" remains one of the most-watched TV shows today, despite its recent spate of anticlimactic and hackneyed plots.
   And leading the cast of the show is actor Shivaji Satam, who has been a part of it since its inception. The actor plays ACP Pradyuman on the show, famous for his one-liners that have become the subject of many jokes on the internet. But doesn't he get bored of playing the same character for so many years? He says, "This is one question I'm often asked, and my answer is, 'What answer do you expect from Sachin Tendulkar if you ask him don't you get bored of batting, batting, batting, and scoring runs?' It's like that."
   So has Satam become like his character which he's been playing continuously? "No decent actor would ever take his character home. It could cause havoc in your day-to-day life. Jab makeup utaaro toh uske characteristics bhi band karke drawer mein rakh dene chahiye," he says. When asked about the reason behind the show's success, Satam attributes it to the cast. He says, "Content is a major part of it, but then some characters have been etched in the minds of the audience, right from children to elders. So much has gone into making these characters credible, and at the same time,a little larger than life. Children, especially, tend to worship the characters."
   Over the last 14 years, he has lost a lot of hair, and in between, has even had grey hair on the show, but in his own words, he has looked "more or less the same". So how does he manage to do that? "I lead a normal life. No late nights for me, I go home after work. I love home-cooked food and bring it on the sets. Some light exercise in the morning and contentment is the best way to stay healthy," he says.
   Apart from TV, Satam has also been doing movies and theatre. Even though "Vaastav" was his last Bollywood release, he has been doing Marathi films meanwhile. About Hindi films, he says, "Kuch achcha nahi aayega toh kyun karoon?" And as far as television is concerned, he says he'll never be a part of a saas-bahu daily soap. "It's so unnatural. Saas-bahu serial is a classic example. Aise thodi hota hai ek ghar mein, saas bhi jawaharat pehen ke so jaati hai, bahu bhi. Everything is false," he explains. Reality shows are also a strict no-no for him.
   For how long will "CID" run? "Until God stops watching it. God sleeps late on Fridays and Saturdays (because that's when the show airs on TV)," he laughs.