That funny bone

When you think of Satish Shah, you conjure up the image of a plump, comic, cracking jokes at the drop of a hat. And yet, the quintessentia...

When you think of Satish Shah, you conjure up the image of a plump, comic, cracking jokes at the drop of a hat. And yet, the quintessential funny-man gets worked up if you call him a joker. He much rather prefers to be described as a performer an actor to whom comedy comes easily, a man who enjoys every moment of life, and throws joy around himself.

A product of the Film and Television Institute of India FTII, Shah would have meandered on the periphery of Hindi cinema, but for boom on the boob-tube. No wonder he calls television his karambhoomi, the arena of his actions. acirc;euro;oelig;I owe everything to television. It is true that like many of my contemporaries, I started with cinema, but it is serials which brought me fame and fortune,acirc;euro; he explains. His Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi was the first sit-com on Indian television. It made him a household name throughout the country, and with the success of that show, offers for similar comedies came pouring in. acirc;euro;oelig;Initially, I accepted them. But now, at this point of my career, I have become very choosy,acirc;euro; he insists.

Television, he says, has become acirc;euro;oelig;a medium with a wide reach and influence.acirc;euro; The benefit of acting in a serial, he says, acirc;euro;oelig;is that you start a sort of rapport with the audience. It gives you recognition which lasts long.acirc;euro; Shah says people remember his roles on such shows as Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, Filmi Chakkar and All The Best even today. acirc;euro;oelig;Iacirc;euro;trade;m not sure if many people remember my films,acirc;euro; he adds. But surely heacirc;euro;trade;s greedy for acceptance on the big screen..? acirc;euro;oelig;That aura of being on a 70mm screen is gone,acirc;euro; he says. acirc;euro;oelig;I think both TV and cinema demand hardwork. It is either good acting or bad acting.acirc;euro; According to Shah, television is responsible for making several film actors so popular. acirc;euro;oelig;Film promos on television give both movies and their stars publicity. Television promotion is far more effective than posters and hoardings,acirc;euro; he argues.

However, he acknowledges the flipside as well. acirc;euro;oelig;In television, people donacirc;euro;trade;t want to take risks. Everyone wants to follow a set formula,acirc;euro; he says. Pointing to success achieved by the trend-setting family soap, Hum Log, Shah reveals that every television producer was keen to ape the show so as to reap rich dividends.acirc;euro;oelig;The rat-race leaves little scope for creativity,acirc;euro; he admits. acirc;euro;oelig;Everyone with even a little money wants to produce a serial now,acirc;euro; he says complaining about the herd-mentality that he claims is rampant in the medium now.

For his own part, however, Shah says heacirc;euro;trade;s decided to stray from the beaten path and take the road less travelled. Heacirc;euro;trade;s currently waiting for Bhago Bhoot Aaya a acirc;euro;tilde;horror-comedyacirc;euro;trade; he has himself conceptualised to premiere on the small screen.

Heacirc;euro;trade;s also only recently shot a pilot for a show called Kal Aaj Aur Kal, in which he will play both a grandfather and a grandson. Heacirc;euro;trade;s unlikely to turn director, he confesses. acirc;euro;oelig;Iacirc;euro;trade;m too lazy. I donacirc;euro;trade;t think I can bear the pressure,acirc;euro; he sheepishly admits. acirc;euro;oelig;Iacirc;euro;trade;m happy with what Iacirc;euro;trade;m doing I play my roles, take my cheque and go home,acirc;euro; he says grinning broadly.