The Multi-talented actor AnanthMahadevan

The Multi-talented actor AnanthMahadevan talks about his comeback with Aadat Se Majboor

Veteran actor and director AnanthMahadevan is back to acting on television with Sony SAB’s upcoming show ‘Aadat Se Majboor’. He will be essaying the role of a boss who manages a publishing house of a magazine called ‘City Chakkar’. His character is edgy who tries to do multiple tasks at one time but fails to finish even a single task. He loves to keep his employees on toes. Ananth’s will also be seen as Riya’s uncle, who has joined the company as a feature writer. He always favors Rhea as she is his niece and also the owner of the company. Ananth gives us more insights on his role in the show.

1.       What made you choose a comedy show like Aadat Se Majboor?

A)     I was not away from television on purpose. The scenario on Indian Television is not something to get excited about. I started my career on Indian Television in 1983. I worked under film producers like Sai Paranjape, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Gulzar. Those were the people who made serials and started the trend. They set a very high standards which was difficult to emulate. Later, when I started direction on television in the 90’s, I did not find anything exciting as an actor. After all this year, director Dharampal approached me for  Aadat Se Majboor. He said I would fit perfectly into the part. Everything worked in my favor and of course I wanted to do comedy for a long time. So, I decided to do this show.

2.       How would you describe your character?

A)     Mr. Tutija is the boss of a publication house and he have to tackle all these young wannabes in their first job. But the problem is they don’t know what they want to do. So, I have to handle these different characters who are really inefficient at their work. This man is caught between the devil and the deep sea. The situation becomes very funny when you see these hilarious encounters on the screen.

3.       After a successful stint in Bollywood and Marathi film industry, how does it feels to be a part of a TV show again?

A)     I have started my career with television and theatre. There is no reason to look down upon television even though it is a smaller medium. Theatre, Television and Films each of them have got a certain perspective. I always think that films are larger than life, TV is smaller than life and Theatre is real life. So after I did  lot of serials with big stars like Satish Shah and Farooq Sheikh, I graduated in film direction. I got 3 national awards for my film and I continued to do off beat cinemas. I think somewhere in my mind I wanted a break from direction. Direction is such a great responsibility and Aadat Se Majboor came at the right time when I needed a good mental break. Everything worked perfectly for me and it was the right opportunity to make a comeback on television with acting.

4.       Any challenges that you went through for preparing for this role?

A)     The director Dharampal wanted me to look different and be different. He got a ponytail for me and we thought of giving it a quirky feel. I have done funny roles before but I found this challenging. I believe I can pull whatever challenges that comes my way. I decided to open up as an actor and try to innovate this character’s comic side. Comedy is very juvenile and we have to pitched it correctly. I wanted to mold my character and give it a classic feel .

5.       Being an Script writer, Actor and Director, what interests you more?

A)     All the three fields are very close and important to me. It’s like having multiple favorite food and I am asked which one I like the most. Talking about direction, I love that part because it involves multiple activities right from writing to editing to production to coordination. So you end up getting a taste of all flavors under direction itself. Writing is a very creative field and I need that space for the same. I enjoy writing but one needs that perfect frame of mind to do so. Lastly talking about acting, I don’t select characters, characters select me. That is what excites me and it inclines me towards acting

6.       How is your equation with your other young co-stars?

A)     These youngsters are an exciting breed of enthusiasm. They are probably more confident and knowledgeable than what we were during those days. I am only concerned about them being over confident and over ambitious because they tend to get carried away with lots of things. But these kids are very nice and good to work with. They make me feel young too and I have become a part of them which I like. I don’t want to sit on the set as a senior actor who has seen it all. I enjoy taking part in the fun and frolic too, so this way I keep in touch with a generation that I would probably want to exploit in our next film. It also helps me grow as a director when I see these people in the unit.

Catch AnanthMahadevan in Aadat Se Majboor starting from 03^rd October, Monday to Friday at 7.30 pm only on Sony SAB!