Well-known actor Satyajeet Dubey, last seen in the film Prassthanam, is returning to the tube after ten years with a new Star Plus show, Maharaj Ki Jay Ho. IWMBUZZ caught up with him for a quick on the show, and his career. Excerpts


Your take on the show?

Maharaj Ki Jay Ho is a science fiction fusion with mythology. But here, unlike other time machine stories, Sanjay (my thief character will keep traveling between the past and the present. So you will have a lot of different angles covered, including romance with my present-day on-screen gal. I also like the sweet message of peace i.e. Sanjay getting both Drithrastra (Nitish Panday) and Surya Bhan (Rajesh Kumar) to play cricket instead of waging war.

Experience of working with Nitish and Rajesh?

I have learned a lot from these TV veterans.

What made you say yes to this off-beat subject to mark your TV return?

It’s a light-hearted genre. After playing a very dark character in Prassthanam, I wanted to go to set and laugh. Also, the entire set up was unlike TV. The director sent me 15 episodes of written script. Last but not least, it was a limited series. I am not a very big fan of regular tube content, no wonder I have stayed away since Jhansi Ki Rani (Zee TV).

Do you think the lack of publicity will harm the show?

These questions are above my pay grade, kindly ask the channel and production. I am just hopeful of netting the right audience, as most folks are at home, and our comedy will be just what the doctor ordered in this serious mood.

How is the industry passing time during the lockdown period?

Celebs are putting out Tiktok videos about their home quarantine. Sad that instead of trying to help out the poor, you are posting creative videos

Many actors do use social media to raise their profile, your take?

Actors should be judged on their acting skills and not on the number of their Instagram followers and TikTok videos. I know casting guys do choose talent on this basis, but then their products lack quality. Luckily not everybody uses social networking sites for talent hunting. Even though I don’t have more than 28000 followers, yet Sanjay Dutt production signed me for a three-film contract. My second horror-comedy project with Baba is on hold due to Coronavirus.

What went wrong with Prassthanam?

No clue. I was happy with the output. Many critics even liked it.