The goal is to do good roles

People love to hate him for his characters but actor Nikitin Dheer tells Sumit Sharma that working for ‘being hated’ too requires a lot of hard work and shares his experience of working in cinema and television

Very few actors can make their performances memorable; Nikitin Dheer is one such actor. Nikitin made his debut in film industry with Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Jodha Akbar, where he played the role of Sharifuddin Hussain, the antagonist. Despite having Hritik Roshan as lead, Nikitin made his presence felt in the film. Born to renowned television and film actor Pankaj Dheer, Nikitin in a short while has made a name for himself in the industry. Ranging from TV and films he has successfully worked in Bollywood hits like Ready and Chennai Express and now creating ripples with his acting skills in TV industry. Currently playing the grey character of Veer in Ishqbaaz, people love to hate him on screen. Excerpts from an interview…

You played negative roles in most of your films…

It is just a nature of the game, as of now I am offered that. I have done comic roles also like in Freaky Ali and in Ishqbaaz I am doing comedy also and romance also. I feel like exploring, but in the end maker has to visualise you. If makers visualise me as a negative character I am happy in that case also. Jodha Akbar did help me, but more than Jodha Akbar, Mission Istanbul helped me a lot because I had contemporary look and a little younger film.

You have worked in South Indian cinema too, how is that industry different from Bollywood?

To be very honest it is not that different. It is just outlook towards cinema is different; the way they look at the things is different.

Your father, Pankaj Dheer is a renowned actor, do you take his advice before accepting any offer?

Actually I am very independent in my decision making, but whenever I feel I need to discuss something I always go to him.

How is your experience working for television? How has it changed over time?

I am fond of both TV and films. In older times I was reluctant. Now I am doing both films and TV. I enjoy working in both the mediums. Both the industries have professionalism, everything is same. The only difference is that in films you are bit relaxed as far as shooting is concerned; TV is little more hectic, because it is like a continuous machinery but it helps you to improve your skills.

In childhood we used to see that actors share a good bond with each other, there was sense of camaraderie amongst them. There was an awesome chemistry between the actors of that time; even if you had worked for just once, the friendship would remain forever. But today everything has become like fast food. People work together and then move on. Real friendships are rarely seen. But I am fortunate, I have made very good friends irrespective we are working together or not, but we are in touch.

You have acted in mythology genre also…

To be very honest it is not that difficult. When you do mythology it is bit challenging, contemporary is comparatively easy. When you do mythology and historical serials you need to concentrate more on dialect and language. But I enjoy all. For Ishqbaaz, I was to do a cameo for one month and now it has extended over three months, I am really happy.

Are you not afraid of getting stereotyped?

It is okay if I am getting stereotyped, and at the end of the day the goal is to do good roles. I want to be remembered as a good actor. Opportunities come your way and you need to do good roles. Nowadays, our Bollywood heroes are also doing negative roles, so villains are slowly fading away from the industry. The lines are getting blurred. The most important thing for you is to stay visible to the audience. I try my best not to repeat myself. I act in mythology, I do historical and I work in contemporary serials too. I try to be different in my approach, for example, I have done role like Thangabali and I will not do similar type of character again. I try my best to explore. This is the best thing an actor can do.

Do you think internet will overcome TV someday?

I don’t think anybody can predict what is going to happen. I have a gut feeling that TV will not vanish from Indian homes. People in small cities and town watch TV serials. On the other hand, internet is a wide open platform. Nowadays internet has become a different kind of a game. The whole takeover is different, but its growth is phenomena land it is really nice. Internet is another medium for us to showcase our talent.

Do you have any plans for working in a Punjabi movie?

I would love to work in Punjabi movies. I am waiting for the right role to come by. To be honest we are in talks for couple of project in Punjabi cinema, but due to some reason they always tend to fall through. But surely I will do. I have some interesting offers lined up and have something in my mind for movies also. But nothing has been confirmed yet.