'Rahil has explored himself again' - Rahil Azam

Rahil Azam is known to be a versatile actor who has experimented with roles of diverse outlook. This time too he is back with Star Plus' 'Gulaal' wherein he will be seen as Vasant, a village boy residing in the deserts.

Rahil talks to Tellybuzz about his role and the other shows he had enrolled.

There has been always a break in between the shows you did, any particular reason for that?
I have never done daily soap in a typical daily soap format as in the regular way the television functions like an office from 9 to 10; I have never taken it like that. Because unless I don't see any passion in anything, I cannot do it for a long time

Can you tell us something about Gulaal?
Gulaal is an ocean and if you try to get deeper into it, you will want to know it further but will never be able to decipher what it is all about. You can say it is a love story or affection or enmity between two villages and the manner in which it has been portrayed itself is different.

Can you tell us something about your role?
In the show Gulaal I play the character called Vasant, who is the son of Village Sarpanch. The villagers give a lot of love and respect to his father and likewise Vasant is loved and respected too, but has never misused it. He respects elders and loves his villagers and wants to do something for them. He is a person who believes and stands for truth and if he sees something wrong happening in front of him he dares to tell it is wrong on face, even if the person is older than him.

How is it being back in Star Plus?
It is always an honor to work with a prestigious and consistent channel like Star Plus and I think we have got a decent time slot this time of 9:00pm.

What are your expectations from this show?
Every department of Gulaal has slogged out and worked very hard and the gut feeling of everyone including mine is positive for Gulaal. But still there is a large word called "audience" and their reaction is unpredictable.

You are replacing a show that is even now one of the popular shows in Star plus which had a different concept; are you apprehensive about the reaction of the audience?
Again I will not use the term different and also compare, because Gulaal is unique in itself. Whenever my show launches I make statements like 'look forward to this', but this time I don't want to speak for the show because the show speaks for itself.

This time you are working with a team having a lot of senior actors from theater as well as from Bollywood. How is the experience?
It is a very nice experience. Even Television fraternity has amazing actors and I have always felt that television is more challenging because you need to be very consistent and you land up shooting about ten to twelve scenes in a day which usually never happens in a film. I would like to give a very warm welcome to my seniors because the reason they are here is because they have something unique to themselves which makes them different in their own way.  And it's nice to share the screen presence with them.

How is the experience acting with Mansi Parekh?
When I had the show Resham Dankh, she had the show called 'India Calling' (Star One) and that's when I got a glimpse of her. All I can tell about Mansi is that if I were to judge the 2011 award for the best actress, I would give it to her and even if she doesn't get it, I would buy it and give it to her. I am very fond of my co actors who have a lot of caliber in them and I look up to them and I think Mansi has done a fantastic job in the show.

You are known to be a very versatile actor and have never repeated roles, why do you do that and can you tell us something about your  journey?
That is what my intention is and I have always tried to dismantle from the characters I did and I always believed in it. Hence, after making a mark in Hatim (Hatim), I dismantled that image with Saarthi (Star Plus) wherein I played the character Karan of Mahabharata. That's when I started getting deeper and deeper into the character study. After that Yeh Meri Life Hain (Sony TV) happened, wherein the character was a bit grey shaded and negative. Following that was my all time favourite subject called Resham Dankh (Star One) which didn't fare well because at that point of time it was a very offbeat script which people didn't relate to. Actually it is a subject of today and I wish the show had released today and one fine day if the almighty graces I would love to buy the rights of the show and turn it into a film. After Resham Dankh I did Betiyaan Apni Ya Paraya Dhan (Star One) and it was hardly a week's time when I was playing a sophisticated businessman in Resham Dankh and as a 'Tapori' in Betiyaan at the same time. After Betiyaan I did certain episodics here and there and then Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Na (Sony TV) happened wherein I played a woman. I have never played a cop and therefore when I was offered Mr and Mrs Mishra (Sahara One) I could never say no to it and it was more of an English show which was very well shot. But there are so many things that matters in TV for a show to run because it is not a three hour long film that is entirely backing up on the producer and distributor because there are so many heads involved.

So this time can we expect anything new?
Yes. But I would not say the typical television term called 'different' and would rather say that I have explored Rahil Azam yet again.

Out of the characters you did till date, which was similar to Rahil in real life?
In life again I am very versatile. Today you can find me as a very sophisticated or reserved person, but tomorrow you will see me as a kid. My most favorite character is always Aditya Balraj in Resham Dhank.

Which role did you feel as the most challenging one to do?
I don't take anything as a challenge because I have so much confidence in me that I just go by my instinct.

Of the roles that you did till date, is there any role that you regret doing or felt that you should not have done?
I wouldn't say a role but I feel that there was a wrong move and that given a chance I would not have done Saarthi after Hatim. Because Saarthi was an out and out multi starrer subject wherein there were about twenty characters. But I am thankful to the face of Saarthi because it is from there I have started 'method acting'.

Hatim is now a Superhero figure and a grand success. How was the audience reaction?
Frankly speaking, for the first year I never even felt that Hatim was this successful because I was in Baroda for a year and by the time I was back, Hatim was off air. And suddenly after two or three years I could see people shouting Hatim on the roads and that was when I came to know that Hatim was shown back to back in Star network. Even now the audience think that Hatim is still on air.

Any message to the fans?
I think I have disappointed them many a times taking such a long break. But there is always a reason behind it and is going to be justified when they watch Gulaal. It's their same Rahil even today, who has explored himself again.

Reporter and Author: Saranya Valsarajan