Big budget,big role,big money,big impact - for actor Shahbaz Khan,work has to be BIG The first question he asked the channel was whether its a daily,followed by a very blunt - is it saas-bahu all over again? Because its getting too much,and I really dont want to be associated with all that drama, before anything was signed and sealed,Shahbaz Khan made sure he wasnt being conned into a ladies special and shoved into the background. It was only when Star Plus assured him that Mitwa Phool Kamal Ke was going to have him as the central character that Khan gave it a second thought. For a change,a serial was going to have a male actor in the main lead,and I signed up for the role of Mamchand Chaudhary,the much feared patriarch of his family and village, Khan shares the latest about this negative protagonist. My characters an orthodox,strict man who lives by set rules and regulations. He is God in Amba Kheri, Khan travels to the interiors of Haryana and UP where youll still spot people like Mamchand who believe in caste,old school ideologies,flaunt larger than life personalities and have pretty hardcore attitudes. A veteran now,Khans consciously tried to associate himself with television serials that promise to be different. That are remembered,and hence my criteria is whether the production is going to be on a grand scale.how lavish will it be,how big is the role,how big is the impact. Television serials are shortlived,and to gauge public memory for long you need to dive into something thats larger than life, justifies Shahbaz. Be it the heroic romantic lead in Chandrakanta,a revolutionist in Yug,a historical character in Tipu Sultan,the lover boy in Chandni; Shahbazs always tried to make a lasting impression. In fact,for Mitwa,the actors grown his beard and fashioned it in a royal cut. Makes me look big and real, he twirls his moustache adding how Mitwas different from the rest because its got a years storylines ready. The serial wont go stale like others. It will keep moving, he says. While he still has to try his hand at television comedy (hes just done one comedy show for Rajshri called Akbar Birbal,that too for the internet),Khans played the comic villain inn films. Speaking of which,he feels that the days of the villain have gone. There is no such thing as a negative character on Indian cinema. Everything is in shades of grey,and now the hero wants to do everything. Heck,hell even get to play the heroine one day! laughs Khan. In the meantime,hes looking forward to Maruti Mera Dost,and Raj Babbars magnum opus on the telly in which he plays the greatest Sikh ever,Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia. Heres to big stuff!
