They came, they acted, they went

THIS TODDLER has come a long way from being a spoilt brat to being respected for his histrionics on stage, the small screen and the big screen. We?re talking about Harsh Chaaya who needs no introduction as far as couch potatoes go.

Harsh with creative Swabhiman

HT Image

THIS TODDLER has come a long way from being a spoilt brat to being respected for his histrionics on stage, the small screen and the big screen. We’re talking about Harsh Chaaya who needs no introduction as far as couch potatoes go.

Harsh has been in and around the industry for over a decade, but still feels that he has a long way to go,” I was always this spoilt brat been pampered around by both my brothers. As a student, I was average but quickly realised what I wanted to do in life. I started off doing theatre in Delhi where I was noticed and later got offers for serials,” said Harsh in a rendezvous with HT We.

“Swabhimaan kickstarted my career on the small screen,” says he who never looked back since then with serials like Hasratein, Justujoo, Astitva-Ek Prem Kahani, Kadam and Star bestsellers to his credit. “I enjoyed playing a journo in one of the episodes of Kadam, the character of KT in Hasratein and doing a story opposite Pankaj Kapoor in Star bestsellers in which both the characters played a wicked game with each other.

The story was based on a Russian play and was directed by Ishaan from NSD”.

About his upcoming projects on the big screen as well as on the boobtube, Chhaya says, “Corporate by Madhur Bhandarkar starring Bipasha Basu and two serials ‘Naqab’ on DD, in which I play a loud role and ‘ Sabse Bada Rupaiya’, a serial based on exploitation in relationships are in the pipeline,” says the ‘ Dev’ (by Govind Nihalani), ‘ Ramji Londonwaley’, ‘ Janasheen’ and ‘ Dil pe Mat Le yaar’ star who believes that creative satisfaction is the key to success.

Kiran from Mumbai

“THE PROJECT was becoming stale for me and I wanted to explore other avenues. Playing Om day in and day out was getting on my nerves,” said Kiran Karmakar. He had recently appeared in ‘ Darna Mana Hai’ on Star One,” It was a four- part short story about a Christian family and what happens with and to them. I enjoyed the experience,” says the telly heartthrob who has plans to participate again in Nach Baliye-2 along with wife Rinku Dhawan. “Though we couldn’t win Nach Baliye-1 we certainly want to turn that around the second time round,” says Kiran whose wife Rinku played his sister in Kahaani Ghar Ghar ki.

“That’s right. She played my sister in the film and we adjusted beautifully,” says Kiran who plans to continue his tryst with Marathi and regional theatre. “Theatre has always been my first love. I used to spend a lot of tome at Mumbai’s Shivaji auditorium. But the only thing is that the plays need to be spaced properly. The gap between one play and the next is too large. If plays are organised frequently, it will keep the artists’ as well as the audience interest alive.

Regarding future projects, Kiran says. “I don’t sign on too man projects at a time but once I sign on the dotted line I remain committed and don’t talk about them until on air,” says the Mumbaiite.

Down- to-earth Arif

“AMATEURS SHOULD be encouraged to turn professionals, both in college and university theatre. During the last 15 years or so, we haven’t groomed these amateurs,” said Salim Arif, renowned theatre personality in a candid conservation. “Like my time with Suryamohan, with Sapan Saab in Meghdoot, or with Raj Bisaria, HL Nagar and Bisht saab. We got to spend quality time with greats, like once I had the opportunity to spend 2 hrs with Shambhu Mitra, how many of today’s youth would get that? Society has to respect quality theme based theatre and theatre has to do the same. On popular stars in his plays Arif says,” I don’t cast Tusshar Kapoor in my plays. In ‘ Aapki Soniya’, Sonali Bendre suited the role perfectly and she is a good performer. The fact that she is glamorously good looking was only a bonus.

The same goes with stars like Atul Kulkarni who is a great performer, for one and suited the role perfectly too. That is the main criterion for me as I don’t build castles in the air,” says the ‘ Taj Mahal ka Tender’ and ‘ Tumhari Amrita’ director who has wotked with established names like Farooque Sheikh and Shabana Azmi.