TV hottie Shakti Arora is enjoying his new Colors show, Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka. “How my paediatrician character falls in love with the battered Nandini (Drashti Dhami) will be interesting, for as of now, he is head over heels in love with his wife, Mauli (Aditi Sharma). He is not your normal Casanova, who goes after anything in a skirt.”
“One of the main reasons for saying yes to this project was that I felt a connect with this multi-layered character. Post returning home from Indonesia (had done a nonfiction show there), I had been listening to various historical and mytho scripts, but nothing caught my interest,” says this actor, who has done several hits shows like Pavitra Rishta, Tere Liye and Meri Aashiqui Tumse Hi.
“The best part about our Sphereorigin production show is that at the very outset we have told our viewers what the story is all about. Agreed, the concept of cult film, Silsila (extramarital affair) is not new, but our treatment and execution is.”
“Have we not seen similar equations in real life, where no one is wrong, yet someone does end up getting hurt? The challenge as an actor is to walk this thin line, without going overboard. We also need to watch the show in today’s perspective, where marriages are no longer for keeps. If you don’t agree, you simply move on. Divorce has now become like breakups. Last but not the least, it is very easy to pontificate, but in life, a lot depends on how situations unfold as well; e.g. don’t normal Bigg Boss contestants behave weirdly under extreme conditions?”
So what is the initial audience reaction you guys are garnering? “Strong sections of my and Drashti fans want Kunal and Nandini to come together, despite being aware of the moral dilemma. And yes, we have many old-school viewers, who question the story’s impact on society as well, when the affair starts. We are still laying the ground work.”
Point out that the ratings are nothing great to write home about, and he attributes it to low levels of promotions. “I just saw one hoarding in Surat. The fact that we went on floors just three weeks before telecast also hampered promotion, as we were busy shooting as well.”
Best of luck for this, Shakti!!