“I Am Excited To Play Lord Krishna In Srimad Bhagwat Mahapuran”- Rajneish Duggal

Rajneish Duggal, who will be seen in the mega serial Srimad Bhagwat Mahapuran on Colors from Sunday June 2 tells JYOTHI VENKATESH that he is open to work in any medium whitener it is films, TV, or for that matter web series as an actor.

You made your debut with Vikram Bhatt’s film 1920 eight years ago. You are making your second outing on TV after Aaranbh now with Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran!

Yes. I am excited about making my second innings on television with the serial Srimad Bhagwat Mahapuran. The serial which has 52 episodes will be aired on Colors from June 2 at 11 am on every Sunday. I play the coveted role of Sutradhar Radha Krishna in the serial. I have already completed shooting for the serial. It took about nine months.  The idea was to revive the original aura of the serial Mahabharat which was on air thirty years ago on Doordarshan. We want to revive the audience which consists of not only the grandparents but also the grand children

Were you skeptical about taking up the offer to be part of TV?

Besides the fact that my parents have been Krishna bhakts for a long time and have even shifted to Brindavan to be near Him. The fact also remains that as an actor, I have been always open to work in not only films but also TV and even web series. I could not have asked for a better debut on TV than as Lord Krishna. Isn’t it? In any case, I am an actor and can be part of any medium that accords me an opportunity to act.

What kind of preparations did you do to get into the skin of your character as Lord Krishna in Srimad Bhagwat Mahapuran?

First of all, I had to shed my six packs abs and work a lot to make not only my look but also my body softer. Thankfully, I do not at all smoke cigarettes or touch alcohol of any kind and hence it was not at all tough to play Lord Krishna. Though I play the role of the sutradhaar in the serial, there are some episodes in which I also play a part as Lord Krishna.

Were you the first choice for the role?

Nikhil Dwivedi who is not only an actor but also a producer of the serial had come to me after he tested a lot of other actors since he could not zero in on anyone particular actor and I landed the role. Nikhil who has also produced films like Dabangg and Veere Di Wedding, had actually spoken to me about the role two years ago

Tell me more about the serial Srimad Bhagwat Mahapuran!

The serial is being directed by Kamal Monga who has been in the television industry for the last eighteen years. Sayani Doshi, who was earlier part of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s serial Saraswati Chandra, is playing the role of Radha in the serial.

Nitish Bharadwaj had played the role of Lord Krishna in Mahabharat and Sarvadaman Banerjee also played Krishna later on.

Do you fear comparison with those actors when you appear as Lord Krishna in Srimad Bhagwat Mahapuran?

I am on fire right now. I have been given the references in Saurabh Raj Jain and Nitrish Bharadwaj. There should be no comparisons because Saurabh Raj Jain has played an individual anchor. From the time I was studying in the 9^th standard in school, my entire family consists of Krishna devotees. The fact that I am a part of Srimad Bhagwat Mahapuran and crores of viewers will stay glued to the show on Sundays give me goose bumps

What is the reason that you are lagging behind as far as stardom is concerned in Bollywood in spite of the fact that you are not only good looking but also a good actor?

Destiny plays a very vital role in shaping an actor’s career today. I did Rajshri’s Samraat & Co in which I played a negative role. Neither did I gain out of that role nor did I lose something out because the film was not promoted at all. If you are an outsider, like I am in the film industry, you tend to make wrong choices and learn from your mistakes. I wanted to get time to explore myself as an actor but did not get proper guidance.

Do you think it was wrong on your part to play a negative role in Samraat & Co which undermined your career prospects?

On the contrary, I feel that I am cut out for roles which require me to shed my positivity and platy out and out negative roles. Why? Even in Rajeev Chowdhary’s film Beimaan Love, I played a role which had a lot of negative shades with Sunny Leone and my role was appreciated a lot and also fetched me a lot of positive reviews

Which are your projects after Srimad Bhagwat Mahapuran?

Besides being part of a comic horror drama Khalli Balli ,written and directed by Manoj Sharma, of Sharmaji Ki Lag Gai fame, with Kainaat Arora, Rohan Mehra, Rajpal Yadav, Vijay Raaz, Hemant Pandey, Asrani, Yogesh Lakhani and Ekta Jain, I am also excited about Rajiv S Ruia’s film Mushkil, which is likely  going to be showcased on Netflix, which I feel is too good a platform for making good content. Netflix benefits you as an actor because they ensure that the content has quality. They also check on quality of the content which commission. It is good for actors because they get a new platform to showcase their wares.

Do you regret having done a lip to lip kiss scene in Wajah Tum Ho?

Despite standing by my decisions — good and bad — I should confess that I regret kissing on screen in Wajah Tum Ho in which also I played a role which had negative shades as I feel that my mushy reel act will upset my wife. Pallavi (my wife) and I were clear that I will never kiss on screen. I declined several projects because of the same. But I made an exception during Wajah Tum Ho thinking that times have changed. I would call that a mistake as that could have hurt my partner. Maybe, she doesn’t show it but even I would have been uncomfortable if she were to do that. I have a daughter called Teeya. Also, there is no need to do it as there are enough people doing that anyway.

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Tags: Bollywood, Bollywood News, Bollywood Updates, Television, Telly News, Rajneish Duggal, Interview, Srimad Bhagwat Mahapuran