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If there is one distinguishing feature in Mahesh Thakur's
personality that hits one instantly, it's his confidence.
Needless to say, this confidence stems out of his intelligence
and education and keeps him supremely reassured at a time
when the TV industry seems to be on a roller coaster ride.
Mahesh currently plays the lead in two serials - SABe TV's
sitcom Doli Leke Aayee Hai Dulhaniya and Siddhant
Cinevision's family drama - Kudrat. Excerpts of an
interview he gave to indiantelevision.com correspondent,
Amar.
How did you start off as an actor?
I was based in Panama, US and had completed my MBA after
which I decided to give acting a shot. I came back to India
in the late 1980s and soon got my first movie - Meri
Janemaan, which was released in 1990. The movie flopped
and my career in movies never really took off. A couple
of years later, I started getting offers for TV serials
and from there, it's been a smooth journey.
Are you a trained actor?
Not exactly. I've done a crash course at Roshan Taneja's
acting school but attended about eight classes in two months
(laughs). Otherwise, I've done some theatre but that was
mainly in college.
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"Acting
in 'Hum Saath Saath Hain' was a dream come true"
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In hindsight, do you regret not having been trained?
No, not at all. I believe the ability to act is something
you either have in you or you don't. There can't be two
ways about this.
Do you follow the method school of acting or do you go
by your instincts?
I have not known what method acting really is. I go purely
by my instincts.
Have your instincts ever failed you? Are there any weak
areas in your acting?
More than good or bad actors, I really feel there are good
and bad scripts. More than the actors, I feel the onus for
a good or bad performance should be on the writers. In India,
most of the times the scripts that we get are very poorly
written and quite a lot of re-writing is done on the shoot.
This really hampers an actor's performance. Moreover, a
good performance is all about fitting into a role. The best
actors look out of place when they are not cast in suitable
roles.
Why do we not have good writers?
Our industry is basically not geared up to pay writers well
and so most writers we have today are phased in or makeshift
writers.
Who are your favourite actors? Which are the stylistic
elements, if any, that you've imbibed from them?
Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan are my all time favourites.
Among the present lot, I admire Aamir Khan for the perseverance
he puts into his roles and Shahrukh Khan for his sheer energy.
I haven't picked up any of their stylistic elements because
I'm not at all image conscious or role conscious.
What are the factors you take into consideration today
before taking up a new assignment?
Two things. First and foremost, I find out whether a
role is interesting enough. Secondly, whether it is going
to get me good money.
Does TV acting pay well?
Well, it used to pay well some two years ago when new channels-
Channel 9, B4U , Sahara and SABe TV had come up but lately,
there has been a major cash crunch and salaries have gone
down by at least 25 to 30 per cent. I see the situation
only worsening in the near future.
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"I
believe the ability to act is something you either
have in you or you don't. There can't be two ways
about this"
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Have you planned or phased out your career, say you're
going to shoot for a given number of days a month or a given
number of projects at a time?
Yes, I don't normally shoot for more than 20 days a
month. I'll tell you how it goes. I'm doing two serials-
Doli Leke Aayee Hai Dulhaniya and Kudrat.
Both of these take up about eight days each. In the remaining
four days, I do miscellaneous stuff like shooting an ad-film
or a new pilot. Then again, if I am shooting the 12 hour
shifts four days simultaneously, I like to take a day off
after that or at least limit the fifth day's shoot to an
eight hour shift. Since I play lead roles, I don't act in
more than two serials at a time.
Doesn't TV get too monotonous and taxing for a senior
actor like you? Is acting in movies a solution?
Well yes, it does become taxing but movies is not a
solution. Movies are okay if you are a star, not otherwise.
At least on TV, I am the king. I wouldn't quit TV for bit
roles in movies. For a TV actor even the economics of acting
in movies is far too bad. Recently I was offered a movie
where they were paying me for a 20-day shoot what I get
in 5 days on TV. Why should I then take up movies?
On a scale of 10, what would you give yourself as actor?
I don't know. That's something people should decide.
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"More
than the actors, I feel the onus for a good or bad
performance should be on the writers. In India, most
of the times the scripts that we get are very poorly
written and quite a lot of re-writing is done on the
shoot"
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Who are your favourite directors?
I've been really lucky to have worked with some of the finest
directors on TV. Lekh Tandon, Ravi Rai and Rajesh Sethi
are among my favourites.
Do you follow any regimen for self development?
Well, frankly at this stage I don't really need to, nor
do my schedules give me the time for it. I feel presence
of mind and experience are more effective tools that help
me in my acting.
Which has been the happiest moment of your career?
When Rajshri Films offered me Hum Saath Saath Hain.
It had always been a dream to act in a Rajshri Production
movie because of the entire ambience it carries in it. Acting
in this movie was a dream come true.
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