Meet the rapist of 'Kyunki...'

Thursday, April 05, 2007

From playing the village bumpkin Bhola in 'Jabb Love Hua' to being seen as the mentally retarded rapist Mayank in 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhie Bahu Thi', Rahuol Lohani has proved character artistes can stand out too. Hear him talk about 'Kyunki...', 'Jab Love Hua' and more....

Your character has finally gained importance in 'Kyunki...', so are you happy?
Yes, at last I have got an important character. See Bhola of 'Jab Love Hua' is out and out a comic character. When I was offered Mayank's character in 'Kyunki...' I was scared. I did not know how I would do it. Bhola is dumb but Mayank is mentally retarded, so I really did not know if I could carry off Mayank. But I took it as a challenge.

Did you know before hand that your character is going to take such a turn?
Yes, when I was offered Mayank's character, I was told that this character would change but I really did not know that the character would undergo these kinds of changes.

Your characters are usually of the sweet, innocent kinds. So are you happy with the kind of roles that you have done till now?
I'm one of those lucky actors who is getting to do what they want to. I really wanted to do a comic character so I took up Bhola. I'm always looking at doing different kind of roles.

Will your character change further in 'Kyunki...'?
I don't know what is going to happen next but something will happen for sure. At present I'm in a dilemma as to what would be the reason behind the rape. Whether it would be showed as a deed of a maniac or is Mayank really in love with KT, I really don't know. But as of now I'm on the defensive side, not willing to harm my reputation. I also know the difficulty of the creative side as to how they will portray the character of Mayank. However as an actor I'm prepared for all kinds of changes.

How do you manage to portray both these characters?
Believe me it is very difficult. Both the characters are different from each other and it does pose difficulties. It so happens that I sometimes get dumb in front of the camera as to whose character I am going to portray. But then this is my job and I'm being able to manage it till now.

Do you feel that a revelation of this kind in 'Kyunki' will harm the reputation of Bhola?
To some extent, yes. See as an actor I want to experiment with different roles. When I read the feedback most of the Bhola fans asked me as to how could Bhola rape somebody. I'm trying my best as an actor but I guess people will take time to accept the difference in the two characters.

Are you choosy about your roles?
Yes, I'm very choosy with the kind of roles that I do. I like to do experimental and convincing roles. I have done an off-beat film Kasturi just because I liked the lead character given to me and I really do not like the commercial movies today. It is not like that I will not take up other roles but it has to convince me first.

When are we going to see you in a more serious and leading role?
See, I have very bad mood swings. So I really cannot tell you when I will accept any such role. Moreover the producer has to offer me such a role (laughs). See as soon as a good and convincing role comes by, I will take it up.

Which character have you liked playing?
See, I have been doing Bhola for some time now and it is much easy for me to play that character. On the other hand Mayank is a different character and difficult for me to portray. But I'm also trying my best to put Mayank on the same level as Bhola. Bhola is close to my heart and at present I enjoy playing it.

Are there any problem among the cast because of the change in timings of 'Jab Love Hua''?
Yes the change in timings has affected the viewer ship. Children love Bhola and now they are disappointed with the change in timings. Recently when I was in Delhi many people told me that their children miss the serial now. But as actor we cannot have a say on the timings of the serials. It is disappointing though.