Veteran, versatile and vivacious Mahesh Thakur, who is a spiritual soul in real life, is enjoying enacting his part of Tejsingh Oberoi in Star Plus popular show Ishqbaaaz (4 Lions Films).
“Tejsingh is a very powerful character. The fact that he has a very clear ideology and knows what he wants from life makes it very interesting to play him. I guess what makes our show tick is its superlative content. It talks about relationships through the eyes of people with different kinds of mindset. It is also well written, peppered with the right emotions which people can identify with,” says Mahesh, the master of expressions, in a chat with IndianWikiMedia.
Since Mahesh has been part of TV since years, debut in 1994 (Tu Tu Main Main), and has seen a consistent rise in career graph, we ask him about the TRP game in the industry and he opines, “I have never understood how ratings (first TAM and now BARC) work and why some channels rate better than others. This is more the concern of the producer and channel. It is sad that today not enough time is given to build up a story and you are expected to deliver ratings right from day one, which is tough as you can’t start a story from the middle. I have always believed that good content eventually will fetch you numbers. If your base is not strong, you might score initially, but soon things will fizzle out.”
He would regard his initial shows (Tu Tu Main Main, Hudd Kardi, Swabhiman and Sailaab etc) as closest to his heart, “The shows have made me who I am. And yes, right now Ishqbaaaz is also dear to me, it’s doing really well.”
It is to worthy of a mention that Mahesh has got lots of respect from the generation next, “Not on account of my age, but due to the vast body of work done. But yes, I have heard tales where this respect is lacking. The issue here is simple, you don’t come here for a short period but for the long haul. So those artists who don’t behave well with their seniors, will one day get a taste of their own medicine.”
Mahesh also accepts that actor of his age don’t get meaty roles. “Having said that, I believe the real problem is faced by female actors above 40, male actors are fewer in number and still end up getting work. The women face an issue for the creative team wants to age their young girl actors on screen.”
Looking ahead, he believes a time will come when broadcast TV will cease to exist and everything will be online and on demand. “You will not need to watch a show at a particular time, but at your convenience.”
In closing, Mahesh, who has done fair amount of films (Hum Saath-Saath Hain, Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic, Ashiqui 2) and theater as well says, “Any true actor will always respect the craft and not the medium which have their own deciding factors. For example, many times producers have enough money to make a film, but have no takers for release. A film needs four pillars .i.e. director, actor, actress and music director, even if one falters, the whole edifice comes crashing down.”
Mahesh, keep up the good work. More power to you.