ENTERTAINMENT
Karan Wahi talks about his career, current show and a stalled film; says he would love to return to TV serials
Actor Karan Wahi says he would love to return to TV serials.
Karan Wahi started his career with the hit show Remix. And though he quickly became the chocolate boy of TV, he has, ironically, hosted more reality TV shows as compared with featuring in daily soaps in his more than 12-year career. But the actor maintains that it “happened organically and was not deliberate”. He says, “A few years ago, when I was anchoring shows, I had signed a few films. People don’t realise that while doing a film, you are contractually bound by film-makers not to do fiction [TV serials]. But the industry folks think you don’t want to do fiction. That wasn’t the reason for me [to not do TV serials]. My films didn’t materalise the way I wanted them to. I was anchoring shows constantly and people saw me as an anchor and wondered why I wasn’t doing fiction.”
Karan’s debut film Dawaate-Ishq (2014) wasn’t recieved well at the box-office, but he later signed a three-film contract with a production house and even shot a film called Babbu Ki Jawani, which never saw the light of day. Karan is unaware of the fate of the film, as the production house split into two entities. He says perhaps that’s why it went on hold. The actor says, “Now, after a year and a half, I don’t know if it will be released. I have moved on in life. In fact, other production houses also wanted to sign me, but when things have to go wrong, they will.”
REALITY CHECK
The actor was part of a TV show, Kahani Hamari...Dil Dosti Deewanepan Ki, last year, but it didn’t get the expected ratings and was discontinued after two months. Ask him what went wrong, and he says, “Unfortunately, I don’t know what happened. As an actor, I can interfere up to a certain level, but after that, it is the channel and the producers’ call. Many people didn’t know that the show aired. Not everything you do does wonders, but the show didn’t hamper me.”
Karan isn’t dejected, though. He is currently hosting the singing reality show, Indian Idol, and is excited about it. He says, “It’s wonderful. It is fun to work with the judges, Farah Khanji, Sonu Nigamji and Annu Malikji. The platform is huge, so I am enjoying myself.”
Karan is glad that things have worked out for him. “I met a lot of people for fiction shows, but things didn’t work out. Sometimes, there are budget issues or scripts don’t work out. And other times, people don’t want you, as they think you don’t suit the role. People still believe in me and they realise that I don’t make a show good or bad on the ratings chart. I will be happy doing fiction, if something good comes up. I want to do a daily soap soon.”