Often actors build a public perception with the type of characters they play on screen which creates a set image for them in the minds of their viewers. While these actors might have made an entry on television with a motive to portray diverse characters, their ability to pull off a certain kind of role with utmost finesse, made them the perfect antagonists for makers and viewers alike. Somewhere, along the way to stardom, these antagonists found a way to be good at being bad.
Veteran actor Sai Ballal is one such personality who has been playing the baddie for most of his career on the small as well as big screen with great conviction. Having essayed several negative roles in the past, Ballal knows that his roles are all vaguely similar, and yet he doesn't mind exploring the different shades of such roles Entering the television space with, yet another powerful portrayal of a negative role will be his character Pujan Pandey in &TV’s upcoming show Jaat Na Poocho Prem Ki.
Ballal will be playing role of a rich Brahmin professor, who is the father of a young girl Suman (Pranali Rathod). Unlike his previous menacing villainous characters, Pujan Pandey has utmost respect and love for his wife and daughter but is a staunch believer of the caste system. All his wisdom and education bow down when he is faced with a turmoil that involves a person of the lower caste. His ugly side surfaces when he is questioned by rationality.
Sharing his thoughts on playing negative roles the actor said, “It is difficult to come out of a character type that the audience loves seeing you in. For me that has always been playing the villain. However, I feel playing the antagonist is challenging particularly because it’s the driving force of the narrative. Each negative character has a different shade and unique point that differs strongly from another and so does the preparation for it.
Talking about this grey character and the various shades of nuances to it Sai said, “To be honest, I kept receiving negative roles for quite some time now and was quite desperate to play a positive role. But when Pujan’s character was narrated to me, I was floored because this character was quite different from the ones that I have played before. My character in Jaat Na Poocho Prem Ki has a unique touch of complexity, unlike the villains I’ve played in the past. The biggest hook to this character for me was that there is a set image for this character in the minds of the audience from not one but two films. What could be more challenging than to abide by such a strong role with full conviction? I had to pick up some subtle mannerisms for this character and there are a few things that I am learning and unlearning for it. As an actor it takes a lot to bring in newness to the kind of roles we portray on screen and for the audience to continue loving us.”
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