In conversation with Mohit Raina, the "real" Mahadev

Mohit Raina is hot!!! This lead from the show Mahadev (on Life OK and produced by Triangle Film Company) is slowly and steadily emerging as a larger than life figure in the world of Hindi television. “In an actor’s life, there comes a phase where he is known for his character and I guess this is the phase where I am recognized as Mahadev. Being a Kashmiri Brahmin, where Amarnath is a pilgrimage, I always felt a connection with Lord Shiva. My family worships Shiv with lot of love and dedication. So I think the affinity has helped me to portray the character in a better way,” says Mohit. He continues, “I got great response from the audience. I have learnt that Mahadev is being watched by across age groups. Recently, I was talking to a family and each and every member had some different reason and opinion to praise me. It has emerged as a family show.” So did he research and prepare for the role? “No one knows how Lord Shiva looks like. But yes, in order to get into the skin of the character, I started to meditate. Shivji is a character with his aggressive and calm at the same time. Meditation was necessary for me to find the right balance of emotions.” Recently, he shot for a tandav sequence in the show. So is he a trained dancer? “No, I am not a trained dancer. After I learnt about the tandav sequence, I started to rehearse. But tandav is not everyone’s cup of tea. The sequence was aired only for two minutes as it showed the power of Shiva. Within minutes he destroyed the world.” So how has the overall experience been? “While signing Mahadev, I was not sure about the role or the channel, as it was new. But later I focused on my character and its apt portrayal. I started making a graph in my mind because it’s a lifetime opportunity which everyone doesn’t get.” What after Mahadev? “I am not afraid of being typecast. Once an actor, always an actor. I will bag good roles in the future,” he ends on a positive note.