Rajesh Sharma: Wouldn't do Khan No 1 if I wasn't the lead actor

Rajesh Sharma

Even though the spotlight was never on him, Rajesh Sharma garnered much acclaim for his supporting acts over his two-decade-long career. However, when it comes to television, the actor is in no mood to play second fiddle. "My criterion to do TV was that I play the lead role. Playing a character role [supporting act] would be of no value because I am doing that in films anyway."

That long-running TV shows demand 16 hours a day from actors was a deterrent for Sharma. Given that his big screen outings have him travel across the globe for a major part of the year, such ventures did not seem feasible. But Discovery Jeet's Khan No 1 had a lot to offer. Not only does it see him play the lead role, it is also helmed by filmmaker Rohan Sippy. "Unlike the other crime shows on TV, our venture focuses only on conmen. Also, the show's name is derived from my character. The series carries a social message, which was a plus point for me."

Apart from the fact that it was planned as a finite series, Sharma was also glad that Sippy's involvement implied it would be shot "in filmy style". "Rohan is a fine director. He works seamlessly and doesn't make hasty judgments."

But juggling both, film and television, can be tiresome, and Sharma confesses that it is his family that invariably makes peace with his absence. "My family suffers a lot. So, I need to bribe them. Whenever I come home, I spend all my time with them, and make certain to take them out. It is because of their support that I am able to work in Bollywood," says Sharma.

While he has wrapped up two ventures with Abhay Deol, one of which is titled Naanu Ki Jaanu, he has another with Govinda in his kitty. "There is also Race 3 with Salman Khan and Anil Kapoor."

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