Interview with Shyaam

What attracted you to 'Pyaar Ke Do Naam-Ek Radha Ek Shyam'?
The first thing was the channel. Primetime on Star Plus is everything that an actor could ask for. Besides, it's Rajshri Productions. This assured me of high production values. I knew there wouldn't be any compromise on my remuneration too. I'm very happy with the money. Being my debut on TV, the double role gives me good scope to perform as well as show my versatility. Being a love story, I was also sure that there was no chance of any parallel track gaining prominence over mine.

A little about your characters..
I'm playing Kishan, who belongs to the 60s era. He's a very simple straightforward person while Shyam belongs to the present generation. He's very flirtatious.

Which of the two do you relate to more?
As a person, I'm closer to Kishan but look wise it's Shyam.

Was acting a natural progression from modelling?
It is but I'd always thought of films, as it's a much bigger medium. Given an option between films and television, I'd prefer the former.

What prompted you to take up television?
I waited a while for films to happen. I'm bad at marketing myself or even going around asking for work. The kind of film offers that I got weren't the sort I would like to be associated with. Being a model, it was sex based films courtesy my good body. There have also been offers where they just needed a good-looking boy with nothing much to do.

Are you looking at main leads?
Not necessarily but they have to be main characters. Like for instance, 'Rang De Basanti' was Aamir Khan's film but the other guys had equal importance in it. Today, even big stars prefer not to carry a film on their shoulders alone.

Why do you think this trend has come in?
I think today most films are story driven rather than star driven. Earlier films were written keeping a particular star in mind. Today is the age of realistic cinema. Scripts revolving around two or three people are developed and then the casting is done.

How did television happen?
I wasn't keen on becoming a TV actor. This offer came through my agent. I was very reluctant to even go for the screen test but he convinced me into doing it. I didn't even shave or cut my hair when I went for my audition. But things fell in place and here I am. The plusses outweighed the minuses (laughs).

Would you take up another serial?
Currently I can't as I'm shooting almost 25 days a month. I'll consider something after this show winds up but I'll always be open to television. I'm sure that I'll have good work coming my way after this show.

Aren't you worried about overexposure on television ruining a film career for you?
I know but I've taken the risk. If I get noticed with this show and people feel that I've done a great job then I don't think all this exposure matters.

Were you nervous while facing the television camera for the first time?
Not at all. I've faced the camera before for my ad campaigns. When I shoot I don't care if the person opposite me is an experienced person or not. I just believe in giving off my best and do my thing. Even big names don't bother me.

What do you consider your strength as an actor?
I've never considered myself as an actor. I don't call myself a born actor. It was a natural progression from modeling but I feel that I'm intelligent enough. This should help me tackle scenes accordingly and do justice to them. I should do fairly well for myself.

Did you always want to be a model?
No. I was working and just decided to take part in the Gladrags contest as I had a good body. I worked out a lot even in those days. After the contest, modelling just happened and now acting. I never plan anything in life. I've never regretted my decisions nor have my decisions let me down. I don't know where I'm going from here but I know that life will always take me to a favourable destination.

What's happening in your personal life?
I never talk about my personal life.