Historical roles are much more difficult : Tarun Khanna

Ask anyone who has grown up during the Eighties about which serial they loved the most, nine out of ten times you will get to hear that its Vikram aur Betaal. Despite the atrocious sets, loud performances (Arun Govil as Vikram and Sajjan as Betaal), the serial hit jackpot because of the strong storyline. In 2009, ask the same question to a group of kids. Chances are, you will get the same answer. Vikram Aur Betaal in its new avatar is as successful as its previous one, albeit with a different cast and better sets. If Arun Govil used his charm in the Eighties, it is Tarun Khanna as Vikram who is casting a spell on the audience with his handsome looks and subdued acting. TellyChakkar spoke to the actor on his life and career. Excerpts from the interview. On his experience with Vikram Aur Betaal… The show started in April and it has been a good experience. But playing a historical character is very difficult. The amount of time you have to spend behind sets, costumes and research is not a joke. You have to do something that you have never seen or experienced. Plus no matter, how advanced today’s television is, to bring in the effect of the large screen and making the audience not feel the difference is very difficult. Add to that the fact that we had to shoot in Baroda with the mercury touching 40 C and multiple reflectors targeted towards you, you will know how difficult it is! I feel, a mythological serial is much more difficult than an ordinary one. I have decided something that I am not going to play a mythological character after Vikram Aur Betaal! (smiles). On his experience of working with a big banner like Sagar Arts… Shiv Sagar, one of the producers is a good friend of mine and is largely instrumental in me playing this role. Shiv and I go a long way back and have been wanting to work together for a long time. Somehow things were just not happening. This show was supposed to start last year and I had said no initially because I had an offer from a big banner for a movie. But as it happens in films, it was shelved without the producers sending me any official message. When Shiv came to know this, he approached me again and asked me to reconsider my earlier decision. I agreed and am glad I did. When my dad passed away just two days before the shooting started the Sagar family offered me tremendous support by giving me additional leave and standing by me during the troublesome days. On his preparation for this role… I am a very fit person and maintain a healthy lifestyle. I also take special care to maintain my body. It is a continuous process. So I did not really have to work too much on the look, but I did have to prepare a lot on the content perspective. I saw the old VIkram Aur Betaal multiple times to ensure that I was on the right track. Unfortunately, just two days before the shooting started I lost my dad. On whether he was apprehensive about playing Vikram… Definitely yes! Initially I was very apprehensive. I look very urban, am not a traditional person in real life and have never done such a role. It was natural that I was apprehensive about this role. When the role was first offered to me, I started working with the production house on my looks. Initially it was decided that I would be given a modern look with a short hair and moustache. But after some feedback from surveys the decision changed. The fate of another mythological serial where such an experiment with looks failed was also on our mind. The only place where you will notice something contemporary is the language. It was decided that we will go with the modern Hindi dialect and not rely on ancient Hindi. The second look we decided on was how you see me today in the show. We decided to play it safe! On his career growth… I have no qualms in admitting that despite being around for six years, I have not really been successful. In the last three years, I have got many offers, but none of them were substantial. Plus with the trend of new faces catching up fast, I understood that it is very difficult for me to play a lead role. So when I was offered this role, despite being apprehensive, I tool this up because I knew this would provide me a good boost. I think this was possible only because of my late parents’ blessings and my little son’s good wishes. He is very proud to see me as King Vikramaditya. This is the first time he is seeing my work on screen. I have also done the campaign Shukriya India for Colors and travelled across many cities in India for it. It was a nice feeling when kids came and asked for my autograph. I felt, finally I had made my mark. On his future plans… I am doing a reality show in a Punjabi channel – MH1. This show is modelled on the lines of Roadies and Fear Factor. I am the host as well as the judge of the show. It has become very popular in Punjab. Very soon we will be shooting the finals, which will be telecast live for 12 hours! Also, if everything goes as planned, I am due to sign a big budget film of a famous actor-turned-director who has been around for more than three decades. The discussions are in the preliminary stage and I will let TellyChakkar know first after I sign the contract!