Satyajeet Dubey to return to TV after nine years

Actor Satyajeet Dubey, who made his acting debut with the historical show,

Jhansi Ki Rani

(JKR), is all set to return to

TV

after nine years with the finite series,

Maharaj Ki Jai Ho

. In a bid to attempt something new, Satyajeet moved on to films and featured in movies like Always Kabhi Kabhi and Kerry On Kutton.
He will be switching between two different time zones in his TV show. He says, “I play Sanjay in Maharaj Ki Jai Ho, which is a situational comedy. My character is that of a rangeela, street-smart punter. Somehow, he goes back in time by 5,000 years and that’s what piqued my interest. I was keeping away from typical shows — in which the hero, an NRI, falls in love with the heroine and so on and so forth. It gets tiresome to keep doing the same thing, but fortunately, with this show, I am in a different space, as I am getting to explore two timelines. Having said that, hats off to those who keep on doing the same thing repeatedly, but then, everyone’s motivations are different. If you ask me, I want quality to be my legacy.”

Talking about his return to TV, he says, “I don’t believe in comebacks. I was just excited about starting my acting career by appearing on a TV show. I was like a curious kid at a candy store wondering about all that I could do in front of the camera. I moved to films, because as an artiste I have limited amount of energy and creativity, which I intend to spend wisely and hence, I picked up offers that resonate with me.”

Though his films may not have fared well at the box office, Satyajeet is happy with the choices he has made in his career. “Coming from a small town without any connections in the industry, I have done the best I could and I am happy with the way my career is shaping up. I have just started. One has to be patient and not get carried away. My life has taught me these values, as I lost my father at the age of 12 and I have been brought up by my grandmother. I came to Mumbai in 2007 when I was 16 and had to be on my own.”

Along with the TV show, he will soon be seen in the Sanjay Dutt-starrer Prassthanam. What’s interesting is that his character will be a complete breakaway from his chocolate-boy image as he will play an anti-hero in the film. “What I am doing in this film is a complete departure from what I’ve done previously. But this is why it excited me so much. I just couldn’t empathise or relate to my character Vivaan — he’s so far away from me as an individual — that’s the challenge,” says the actor. Was it difficult to break away from the quintessential chocolate-hero image? “More than difficult, I find it exciting when I get to fill in the shoes of a character that’s poles apart from me. Who the hell wants one particular image? The process is spiritual for me — I am anyone, everyone and no one at the same time. But yes, you’re always running an emotional marathon. It can mentally and emotionally drain you. But I’m in love with this process,” he signs off.