‘Television is a woman’s medium’
Actor Shashank Vyas is back on the small screen with a show that talks about how the male child is preferred over the female, and the way both sexes continues to be treated differently in many spheres.
His first show, Balika Vadhu, was also centered on a social issue — child marriage. Is it a conscious decision to take up shows that engage in a dialogue on socially-relevant issues? Responding in the affirmative, Shashank says, “When I came to Mumbai in 2009 to build a career, I had decided that I didn’t want to misuse myself. I know my craft, but I need to learn more, and associate with more intellectual and talented people.”
Shashank swears by the value of patience, and emphasises on the need for every actor to take adequate breaks in between projects. “I could take up just any show after every two-three months if I need to be visible. I don’t want to be repetitive towards my craft. The audience otherwise might think ‘pehle bhi yahi kaam kar raha tha, aur ab bhi wahi’... There are clichéd lines said by every male actor in every show like ‘Aap chinta mat kariye, main aapke saath hoon, ‘Main hoon na’ and so on. I don’t want to be like that,” says Shashank.
And that is where, feels Shashank, saying ‘no’ at the right time, and not indiscriminately, is crucial. “An actor’s life is very risky — you have to have the sense to say ‘no’. TV is a woman’s medium, and I say this on a concrete basis. The number one show right now in the country is led by a female actor. Getting a male-centric show, thus, is an achievement. If you say ‘no’ to multiple people, they might think ‘let’s not call this actor, he always says no,” Shashank explains.