Q What is the first thing you intend to do when Devon Ke Dev Mahadev is over?
Visit my hometown in Kashmir. I haven’t been there for five years. I’ll spend some time there and then take a family vacation.
Q: The show ends. Your fans will be heartbroken. What’s your reaction?
There is a feeling of emptiness. I’ve been playing Lord Shiva for three years. In fact, it’s not even right to say I’ve been ‘playing’ Shiva. My involvement with the character is much deeper than that. The audience actually believes I am Mahadev. We completed 820 episodes.
That’s a long time to be with a character…
Yes, and the dramatisation that crept in later, I think began to show in the content. When we started the serial it was only about the real Mahadev. Then it began to look like a serial.
Q: You mean stretched out unnecessarily with plot character and other devices?
Exactly. Characters began to come and go, like a conventional series. It is sad that Devon Ke Dev Mahadev is coming to an end. But my commitment to the serial’s dogma doesn’t diminish. Whatever I do, I’ll be connected to the show.
But not having to constantly live up to the image of a god, does it not give you a feeling of liberation?
Oh yes, it does. I feel relaxed and happy. Being the face of the show was a huge responsibility. But, when people come to me and say I’ve touched their lives and that their perspective and vision on life has changed, it feels good.
Q: You became the brand ambassador for Lord Shiva…
Yes I did. I took Mahadev’s message across the world. The experience has made me a better human being. I now value life more. I understand the cycle of nature..., everything in life is connected. Every person is equal. All the things that I’ve learnt while playing Mahadev will really be beneficial to my life. This wasn’t just a serial for me. It was a learning experience. I hope people’s love and respect for me remain even when they stop thinking of me as Mahadev.
Unless you suddenly go wild and start dancing on bar counters…
I don’t see the possibility of that happening. I’ve never done it. Why would I do it now? I see myself as having a huge responsibility. For me the art is important.
Q: Another mythology is ruled out?
Absolutely. There have been rumours regarding this, but I am not looking at any mythology. There is much more to me than Mahadev. Whatever viewers have seen is only 40 per cent of my capabilities. I’d like to surprise audiences while making sure that I don’t compromise with the dignity of the character I played for three years.
Have you signed movies?
I am meeting a lot of filmmakers. They are keen to sign me. It’s every actor’s dream to do cinema. So I guess the real struggle begins now.
