From a gawky youth in Utsav to being a television star, Shekhar Suman has seen it all. Often labeled as arrogant, self centered and pompous, Suman is, at heart, a family man. When you meet him , you expect him to chatter incessantly, and he doesn't really disappoint you on that count. But there is much more to this guy whose rise to fame has been almost Phoenix like.

After disappearing into obscurity, he came back albeit with a foolproof plan. With his unique brand of humour, he made a mark on the small screen. In him, the small screen got its first celebrity, complete with style, elan, attitude and controversy.

After a brief hiatus, he is back on the screen with Zee's Sunday morning thriller XYZ. Success might be an old flame, but the man isn't ready to retire yet. He is planning to stage another comeback, in a brand new avatar. The message he wants to send out is: " You haven't seen anything yet. I have loads of surprises in my kitty. The audience will definitely be seeing more than just the comic act."

In a tete-e tete with indiantelevision.com's Trupti Ghag, Suman spoke about his ambitions and his experience as a star.

Last we heard, you were busy 'broadening your horizon'. Memoirs, music album, theatre, chain of restaurants… what is the true picture here? Are you planning to change lanes?
Well, no. I am at a crossroads where I need to do something more that acting. I need to take up newer challenges. Being an actor, I have been exposed to so many different things and so many different people that if I didn't make use of this opportunity, then I would be the biggest fool around.

I am where I am not because I am the best actor around, but because I am very restless and willing to do more than what is demanded out of me. The idea about the memoir wasn't mine though I want to write a book at some point. I write regularly for a column called Last laugh in Cineblitz magazine and am also a columnist with a Hindi magazine called Sakhi. Writing a novel will therefore be a natural extension. About the memoirs, somebody approached me with the idea but I think I have a lot more work to do before I can publish an autobiography. Anyway, I don't have much time nowadays so the idea has been postponed.

As for the music album, it's going to be a mixture of a few love ballads and poetry renditions titled Kuch Khwab Aise. The songs are in the process of being recorded. The album should be out, along with the video, in another two months.

On the theatre front, I have already been doing a play Woh Tum Hi Ho but I will soon be doing two more plays. First is NSD alumnus Ranjit Kapur's directorial venture alongside Om Puri. The second play in the pipeline is Topi Shukla - a played based on Rahi Masoom Reza's novel. It is a sensitive play about two friends, one Hindu and another Muslim, who love each other but hate each other's religion to the core.

Lastly, about the chain of restaurants, right now I am thinking about one restaurant. It is going to be a coffeehouse kind of place like Mocha or Barista. We would be having a live band playing and I would probably also be dropping in on occasions and presenting my act.

Aren't you also going to be doing some live acts?
Yes that's right. It is a venture of my production house Seven Thirty Productions. It is an extension of Movers and Shakers called Shekhar Suman Live. It is going to be a staged event to be launched on 25 July.

Initially I had suggested the idea of a televised version to Sony. In fact they had assured me that they would be doing it but the things didn't work out. That was one of the reason why I shifted from Sony to Zee.

Speaking about Movers and Shakers, what according to you is an essential difference between Movers and Shekhars and Simply Shekhar?
There is not much of difference apart from the name. I was hurt by Sony's attitude; they did not honour their promise so I had no choice but to move to another channel. We could not obviously use the name since it was a copyright issue so the name was changed. That's it.

How has the talk show host job helped you?
It has been an immense help. Not only did that give me a second lease, so to speak, but it also made a great deal of difference in my capabilities as an actor. I am now truly beyond the lines.

As a talk show host, I had to constantly improvise lines, deciding what to say when and to try and get the best reaction possible. As an actor, you don't have much scope to go beyond the lines. With my own talk show I am very much myself.

About your latest launch on Zee XYZ, what prompted you to take up the show?
It is quite an interesting show, plus it is for kids. I have always wanted to do a show, which credits children as an intelligent viewer, and does not use some mumbo-jumbo and magic tomfoolery to grab their attention. It has loads of action.

Weren't you supposed to be the producer for XYZ?
Yes Seven Thirty was supposed to co-produce it with Ghai films but I got really busy and Wizcraft stepped in but I am planning to take over the producers' rein in a few months.

Do you think that children's programming is the next big thing on television?
I seriously hope so. It is about time that there was a change in the current programming line up. Plus I am also planning to make a show on lines of Sound of Music called Brahmachari. Though I had initially thought of a television series, I am now in two minds as I am not too sure if I can devote enough time for a series so I might just make it into a film.

About your film career, what is the next project on hand? How was the feedback for your last movie Chor Machaye Shor?
Don't remind me about it. David (Dhawan) is a dear friend, that is the reason why I agreed to do the project. The movie didn't do well for obvious reasons. Now I am in midst of shooting for Ek Se Badhkar Ek, it is a dark comedy.

Seems like things are really happening for you. Has there been a time when you wished you were not an actor?
Every actor is an ambitious creature, he wants as many different lives as possible, that is why he is an actor. And I am an actor to the core.

Looking at the current scenario, anybody can be an actor or director or a producer. But what gives you an edge over them is your ability to think beyond. An actor needs to be well informed, he needs to understand the ramifications of his action. After all, he is being watched. Believe me, I did all that and more.

Nothing came to me easily, I had to work hard to be where I am. I made a comeback after I was written off by the industry. Nothing ever made me quit because I guess this is where I want to be. When there were turbulences, I took it in my stride and worked even harder. In fact, I think I am a living proof that anybody can become an actor if he works hard enough for it.

With the copyright issue currently in the spotlight, what do you think is the real problem here? Has the industry run out of ideas?
It's blasphemous really. According to me, the people who engage in such acts should be punished severely. It is really pathetic that you duplicate somebody's hard work and don't so much as credit him for it.

What really irk me are these so-called remixes. All they do is add some jarring beats and make few provocative videos. Is this what you mean by artistic liberties? To top it all, you don't even thank the original artiste.

Well, it's either that or the same old soaps?
Don't even get me started on the soaps. They are redundant, repulsive and retrogressive. Who has ever heard of such families and such problems! Sorry to say but Miss Kapoor and co have a social responsibility. You can't go on like these.

What do you think is the real issue here?
Well, television is a writer's medium. It is all about stories based on good subjects executed well. With the deadline and need to do something on a shoestring budget, the stress shows. It's either that or the huge waste of money making garish sets. Eeks! What ever happened to good taste?!?

But all these shows fare well on the TRP rating scale, don't they?
The TRP is the biggest myth of our times. It is a fraud initiated by certain companies for obvious reasons. I think it is a media propagated psychological warfare. If you call a horse a donkey for a certain period, it will bray after a certain time.

Looking at the multi-million ad pie fetched by the television industry, there is bound to be a scam and TRPs are a scam. Problem is, you can't call it a scam till someone unearths it.

Well, whether a myth or not is debatable, but there has been a trend recently to change the story tracks following a dip in the TRPs. Has it ever happened to your show?
I am beyond ratings. So whether my shows give zero ratings or 10 point ratings, I am not really affected.

What according to you makes you beyond ratings?
Simple. I don't waste people's time and money. First and foremost, I make sure that I have the entire script. By script, I don't mean just my dialogues. I make it a point to know what everybody else is doing. Then I comb the script minutely making sure that I know the details. Lastly, I get well versed with my part.

But I am not invincible, so when I think I am going wrong I make sure that I do retakes. Actors who boast about not doing retakes, I believe are just not good enough. Lastly I am a very committed person. Did you know that Star Plus had offered me a show back to back with Kaun Banega Crorepati and they were ready to pay me four times my price! But since I had committed to Sony I let it go by. It is totally another thing that they did not stick by me.

Do you regret the decision?
No. Money is nothing but extra zeros to your bank balance after a certain time.

What does it mean to you to be a successful television actor?
Success gives me the license to say no. Unlike the normal perception, I demand high standards both from myself as well as from other. I get very irritated with incompetence. The challenge in front of me is to be a good role model. Being successful means I can very much get my way done.

Every person in the television industry be it actor, director or even a cameraman wants to be in the film industry. Why is it so… is it the moolah?
Well it is, yes and no. Money is an important aspect but more important than that is recognition. Once you are on the big screen, you are a brand in yourself. People pay money to watch you, it is a great high.

Inspite of garnering lots of revenue and providing people with lots of opportunities, why is it that there is no system in the entertainment industry?
I believe the corporate rules are in the process of being implemented in the industry, but unfortunately it is a slow process. The idea of 'we' is still not there. Every actor is an insecure creature and the industry ethos is such that there is lot of back stabbing going on.

With actors coming in dozens and television turning them into overnight stars, where do you think we are headed?
The actors have to get it straight that they are popular because they are projected that way. If you have noticed, people recognise them by their screen names and not by their real names.

Look at what happened to the oldest Mihir in Kyunki..., he had the audacity to say that he was hotter than Kareena Kapoor and now after the disaster of a Ramsay movie he's back trying to wriggle his way in. While even after the character was changed thrice, there is no difference to the serial. Everybody in television wants to be the next Shah Rukh Khan.

One has to realise how ridiculous it sounds. Take a look at the comedy track with Daksha Ben that was going so well. Even after her unceremonious departure nothing went wrong, did it? You have to realise that no one is indispensable. To succeed they have to have their heads firmly screwed to their body. There is a chance that they will be gone in one second and no one will even notice.

How long do you think the soap trend will last?
Well, not long, I hope. I think the next big thing for television is reality television. Infotainment channels will be huge in the coming years.

So what next on Shekhar Suman's agenda? Is it politics or is it Hollywood?
If I am offered a Rajya Sabha seat then why not? As for Hollywood, I would absolutely love to bag a role in the Hollywood movies. Those guys are so professional. Here you are either a Shah Rukh Khan or Dilip Kumar or an Amitabh Bachchan in a movie. If you watch a Robert De Niro or a Anthony Hopkins movie, it takes a while before you can identify them, they are so much into the character, they play without being larger than life. I hope I can work with those people As of now, I am planning to start a niche channel devoted to health… a health channel.

On a parting note, how important is grooming for an actor?
It is extremely crucial. To be an actor you must act like one. So is it true for any other profession. If you are a painter you need to hold a brush in certain way, if you are a singer, you need to have certain mannerisms.