Four serials and a new director

Those have decreased quite drastically. In a career spanning four years, Malik has acted in ten serials. But currently, you can see him only in Banegi Apni Baat Zee. If you think hard you8217;ll recall him in serials like Suhana Safar, Yeh Ishq Nahin Aasaan, Yeh Kanhan Aa Gaye Hum. His role in Tara even got him an award as the best newcomer. Then there is a film career. Of sorts. Films such as Krantiveer, Tiranga, Shola Aur Shabnam.

His shift behind the camera is not so surprising.8220;I8217;ve done some real good work as an actor in some of the best serials with the best of directors and suddenly in between the similar kind of work I was used to, stopped coming. The people I wanted to work with were not keen on doing anything and the offers that were coming then, I was not keen on themquot; he states. In this industry if you8217;re selective and do less work people write you off saying He is out of work8217;. quot;This gave me enough time to think. I started working on a few scripts and these people who were crying foul actually made me into the director. Its been a very satisfying experience.quot; he adds.

The TV serials sound quite interesting on paper. Rab Raakha was so expensive no one wanted to do it. It8217;s about two warrior families in Punjab; it is shot extensively in Ludhiana as it required a look of the north. It has got the go-ahead for Star Plus and should hit the air in December. Lajawaab produced by UTV is 8 Hindi blockbusters put together! Pal Do Pal is entirely different from Lajawaab. It is about upper middle class people, their dreams and fantasies. Prisoners of War is an one-hour series in all probability for Britain8217;s Channel Four. It deals with the prisoners of 8217;71 war and what happened to them when they came back to the country. This is a very sensitive subject and required research for over a year,8221; Malik says.

But though preoccupied with direction Malik is still in the acting business. In December yet another soap of his Saath Saath directed by Prashant Chothani who directed Chandni on Zee will hit the air. And he is quite excited about a show called Run Jhun directed by whiz kid Gajendra Singh of Sa Re Ga Ma and Antakshari fame. The show is a fusion of Indian and western dances. quot;I8217;m thrilled about it since a few years back I was into dancing. I8217;m a trained dancer and this show will present me as an actor, anchor and dancer.quot; he beams.

What does he think about Banegi Apni Baat? Does he agree with those viewers who feel that enough is enough? That four years are enough?, quot;Inspite of having been on air for so long, Tony the director has maintained a class, a glossy look to the serial and the story is going somewhere. That8217;s why people are still hooked on to itquot; he explains.

Direction Malik feels is a tough job if you want to do it creatively without compromising. He doesn8217;t believe there is a formula to make a hit programme. 8220;It8217;s your passion and your conviction. When I started, people were dicy because I8217;d not assisted anyone. Now the same people are approaching me.quot; he reveals.quot;Every serial, every episode should be an entertainer with a pace. Every scene, every moment should work on television. I8217;ve always thought ahead of time, I only hope the future pays backquot;.