By Sanya Pandey
New Delhi, Feb 22 (UNI) Actor, producer, singer Shekhar Suman says he is not very fond of comedy and if given a choice he would choose serious roles.
Talking to UNI, Shekhar who was in the national capital to promote his upcoming show ‘Saat Phero Ki Hera Pherie’ said, "I think comedy has become more forced now. Earlier, it was more natural. I am not very fond of comedy. If given a choice I would choose serious roles.'
On asking how has comedy as a genre evolved since his first comedy sitcom 'Dekh Bhai Dekh' and 'Movers and Shakers', the actor said, "Comedy is a good genre if done the right way otherwise it becomes obscene. Without hurting anybody's sentiments, just from your thoughts if you can make someone laugh, then it is a good comedy. There are more humourous things on social media these days.”
“Think comedy has regressed, comedy has gone to the docks. So people should come forward with series like 'Nukkad' or 'Dekh bhai Dekh' which had beautiful writings and performances and then comedy maybe revived again. By humilating someone, making fun of someone's body type that is not comedy,' he said.
Shekhar said the comedy genre has become all the more challenging now, if done the right way.
'’Comedy is very challenging. To stir up emotions is easier, but to make people laugh the right way is very difficult. Because it involves lot of thought process,' he said.
Telling about the preparations for the role of Bhupi Tandon that he plays in his upcoming serial, Shekhar said, 'I think the role prepares you. I think once you understand this is my character then it's the role that will tell you how will drive the vehicle. As an actor he/she is the driver who will drive that character. In our lifetime we observe characters, how men, women, husband, wife behave. So I just have to pick the character from the real life, understanding his physicality, the tongue, attitude. So that's what I do when I prepare for my character. I take some points from my imagination, some form the writer's point of view and rest from director's view that how the character should be and I prepare accordingly.'
Shekhar, who is a theatre artist too, when asked whether the thespianism has lost its essence these days, he said, 'Yes it has. It has become very commercialised. Theatre was a pure form of art without eyeing the box office. Theatre has its own subject, language and meaning. Nowadays it is lacking good playwrights, and good actors. Due to these reasons theatre is facing problems. Naseeruddin Shah, Deepti Naval, and me, we are trying to keep the theatre alive from our side as much as we can do.'
Telling about his upcoming directorial movie 'Patharbaaz' based on Kashmir's stone-pelters and whether it will receive any sort of criticism, Shekhar said, 'I am showing the reality. If you get into their shoes then problem will be something else. So if stone-pelters are demanding for a free Kashmir, then why are they demanding it. There must be some reason. But behind them neighbour country and some outfits have also come and got involved. Some out of economic necessity take Rs 500 and throw stones at our own people. But some people think that they have suffered torture.'
'So we will show both sides.We will be on fence, we will show you a picture, then audience will interpret according to their choices. If their is a solution then why no solution is brought and what is the main reason behind it. It's a complicated and highly sensitive issue, and that's why I am going to take a lot of time on my script. Because it has to be a balanced story and not a biased one. I will show it from a director's point of view the pan-theatre. With the cinemascope, I will wider my horizon and show the movie,' he said.
When asked whether he has any plan to bring back 'Movers and Shakers' and 'Dekh Bhai Dekh', Shekhar said,'there is so much of intolerance these days on every little topic, protest on every issue, voices are raised and they decide what to say or what not to. If we elect someone in our democracy and if he/she does something wrong and we say against it, then we are stopped. It's our right to say to our elected leader what's wrong and right.'
'I don't think so I will be allowed to make sarcastic comments in today's environment. I will definetly want to do 'Movers and Shakers' again but on the day when I feel the environment is calm,' he said.
On his future projects, Shekhar said right now he is preoccupied with his play 'Ek Mulakat' and his movie 'Patharbaaz'.
Sony SAB’s show 'Saat Phero Ki Hera Pherie' is a marital comedy.
Based on the premise of a famous axiom ‘Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus’, the show will showcase the various hilarious situations that arise in the daily lives of married couples due to gender roles and differences.
Set in suburban Mumbai, the plot revolves around the lives of two neighbors - the Tandons and the Desais. Bhupi Tandon played by Shekhar Suman, is a man in his 50s and believes that the ‘Man’ is the boss of the house and loves to dominate his wife. His wife Neetu played by Swati Shah is a ritualistic traditional woman, a loving mother and a caring wife.
The show will be premiered from February 27, Monday to Friday at 2130 hrs on Sony SAB.
UNI PY SNU 1215