Staying away from my family is tough: Salil Ankola

Salil Ankola

Actor Salil Ankola, who is part of Siddharth Kumar Tewary's Karamphaldata Shani, is busy shooting in Umbergaon for the show. The actor says that staying away from his family is not easy. "I have been shooting in Umbergaon for the past one and half years almost and initially the days and work hours were hectic but now it's sorted. But still being away from my family, friends, my life in Mumbai and my dog Muffin is a feeling I don't like. It's been tough! My wife Ria accompanies me all the time so there is a bit of solace," he says.

However, he still loves being an actor. "An actor can live so many lives and he can portray so many characters which a normal person cannot. That's the best part and that makes everything worth it," he says.

However, Salil agrees that being an actor and a public figure comes with its own set of responsibilities. "I have been a cricketer for so long and now I am an actor. These are the two professions that are the lifeline of our country's residents. We have millions of followers, who follow our each and every step and also copy us in every way. So, it's very important that we influence them the right way," he says, adding, "We need to be careful especially with the teenagers and the young crowd, who are the future of our country."

Talking about fans, Salil says that he has often had interesting experiences with them. "From playing cricket for India to being an actor on TV and featuring in music videos, I have had various fans and various fans experiences. I have got love letters written in blood to marriae proposals…you name it and I have experienced it. However, my most recent fan experience was kind of embarrassing. I was in a flight back to Mumbai and was sitting in the first seat in the aisle with my wife Ria. Lots of people were shaking my hand and moving forward. One such guy, who probably was in his mid-forties, came up to me and shook my hand. He then told the other passengers behind him to make space. Then, to my surprise, he did a Sashtaang Namaskar, by lying flat on his stomach with hands stretched in a namaskar at my feet, like we do in a temple. He said, "Suryadev mujhe aashirwaad dijiye aur meri saari sankate door kijiye, main aapka bhakt hoo". I have never been so embarrassed ever in my life!" he says.

Salil says that now TV shows are also no longer regressive and are spreading the right message of equality. "Our country has adapted and progressed leaps and bounds when it comes to viewership in urban areas and is open to a lot of bolder topics. The rural audience still has not reached that level of acceptance, though things are changing fast with people's mentalities," he says.

In fact, the actor says that there are a lot of changes in the TV industry too. "Now there are lots of channels and hence it gives a chance to a lot of actors to show their talent. Also, nowadays it's tougher to get TRPs and maintain them as the choice is wider. Secondly, with the trend of web series catching up, we are moving towards bolder subjects, stories and experiments, where there is no third party interferences in the casting," he says.

Talking about the kind of roles that he wants to take up, Salil says, "In my career in TV, I have done various roles as the lead. I am looking forward to some kind of an Indianised Game of Thrones series which will be fantabulous. I am even keen on taking up a mature love story which will be very demanding to perform. A father and son spy series set or a fantastic comedy will also be interesting. Basically, anything that will get me out of my comfort zone," he says.

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