What makes veteran singers,choreographers and composers in Bollywood debut as actors? With lead actors of the industry such as Hrithik Roshan,Abhay Deol,Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan also trying playback singing these days,singers have all the reason to bag lead roles in films. It was recently reported that singer-composer Shekhar Rajviani (of the Vishal-Shekhar fame) will debut as an actor in 2012. He has been signed to play the lead in Cold Beer Sold Here,being produced by Viacom 18. It is noteworthy to mention here that Shekhars partner in music,Vishal,did a cameo in Farah Khans Tees Maar Khan. Rajviani says the project is still in the works but,nonetheless,after composing for films and advertisements,singing and taking care of the family business,he is open to acting . If the opportunity is right,I will surely take it up, he says,adding,After all,whether I am behind the camera or in front of it,I am just expressing myself creatively. He isnt the only one. Some months ago,singer Asha Bhosle,78,made headlines when she signed as the lead in Maaee; choreographer-turned-director Farah Khan,46,will play the lead in Bela Sehgals directorial debut,Shirin Farhad (Sehgal is the sister of director Sanjay Leela Bhansali) and vocalist Adnan Sami is considering an acting offer. Adman and lyricist,Prasoon Joshi,says its a growing trend,a part of the constant reinvention that Bollywood is looking for. For the film industry to register its presence among audiences whose attention span has reduced so much due to multiple entertainment platforms,people have to do something new all the time, Joshi explains. Maaee revolves around a woman suffering from Alzheimers disease,and Bhosle was reportedly very comfortable in front of the camera. She took the plunge upon the urging of her son,Anand,but held it through commendably. Directed by ad filmmaker Mahesh Kodiyal and produced by Subhash Dawar and Nitin Shankar,the movie is currently in the dubbing stage and will release soon. This experimentation works both ways. While for filmmakers,it becomes a USP for their film to have Rajvianis or Bhosles debut film as an actor,for the artists too,it adds a fresh new twist to their profile and establishes them as multi-talented and multi-dimensional. With Shirin Farhad going on the floors next month,Farah is said to be brushing up her Parsi accent and spending more time with her Parsi relatives to prepare for her role. Traditional barriers seem to have blurred in Bollywood with people becoming multi-faceted. Farhan Akhtar took to acting and singing; Himesh Reshammiya acted in,composed and produced his own film,Aap kaa Surroor. I wanted to take the Kishore Kumar legacy forward. If in the past,actors could sing,compose and direct films,why not now? reasons Reshammiya. This would not have happened several years ago when the Hindi film industry was churning out formula films. In the past couple of years,we have given out more experimental films,so people get a chance to experiment with themselves, says Rajviani. But isnt it too much of a risk for a celebrity,who has had a successful career behind the camera,to come in front of it,test himself or herself,and that too,at a mature age? Its all about the right aptitude, says Reshammiya. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh feels the reputation of an established artiste can go for a toss but not his career. Everyone wants to act,and the kind of scripts that are being churned out today make an acting debut at 40 or 80 easier. You can play yourself,your age, he says. Rajviani endorses the new Bollywood viewpoint. Bollywood is having a lot of fun these days. There are a lot of cool people working here, he says. (With inputs from Priyanka Pereira)
