BOLLYWOOD HOLLYWOOD TELEVISION MUSIC IT’S THE GOLDEN OF TV: BLAIR

Actor Blair Underwood feels now is the best time to work in the American television industry

Actor Blair Underwood (left) loves working in television shows. The 52-year-old, who became popular after portraying Jonathan Rollins, a wilful determined attorney in the legal drama LA Law, feels that television is undergoing through a golden era.

“Actors just want to focus on good work. Right now, television is giving some of the best shows across networks. Some of the best financed projects are from the television industry. There are so many series that are coming online and attracting attention,” quips Underwood.

However, the actor doesn’t think that films have taken a hit because of TV. “Films still have a certain style, that people are drawn to. I don’t think films are getting affected, or that actors don’t want to do films because they want to work in television.”

Underwood will soon be seen in the second season of Quantico, which will resume on Star World HD after a mid season break. “I know it is a very intense show. We take 9 days to shoot one episode. But, I don’t feel any pressure. I am not the main star of the show, Priyanka is, so the pressure is on her, but she handles it really well. I have a lot of fun on the sets,” he says adding that he said a yes to the show because he was a big fan of the thriller series.

“I’ve been watching the show, before I got associated with it. I was intrigued by it. My character of the lead instructor is interesting and mysterious and I love it.” ctor Anjana Sukhani (left) says it’s high time people learn to take comedy in a lighter stride and not make an issue out of every small thing. The 38-year-old is playing the lead in a situational comedy, which revolves around a crime journalist wanting to interview a don.

Despite the fact that the film has been getting threat calls from the underworld, Anjana says the team is unperturbed. “We are only more determined. We are sure that we have not demeaned anyone. (Also) I want to urge people that we should not take humour too personally, though I understand it shouldn’t be at the cost of anyone.”

Ask her if she feels Indian audience have evolved to understand and accept situational comedies and dark humour, the actor says there is scope for all kinds of comedy films being made in Bollywood and it’s tough to say if people are ready to adapt to a given kind. “People are watching films like Housefull and Humshakals, so clearly they enjoy slapstick comedy. At the same time, there are people who like poker faced comedy too, which is actually not creating scenes or cracking jokes for people to laugh. Here, you are not enticing audiences but the way you are saying it, the timing, the way characters are portrayed, it will crack you up,” she explains.

On teaming up with comedian Sunil Grover for this situational comedy, Anjana says, “We needed somebody who has this amazing comic timing and yet doesn’t overplay it. No one could have done the role better than him.”