Male actors rarely get meaty roles in TV shows: Krishna Bharadwaj

Krishna Bharadwaj, who has done Hindi TV shows like Tenali Rama and Dhruv Tara – Samay Sadi Se Pare, is now making his debut in a Gujarati TV show Shyam Dhun Laagi Re. What made him take it up, considering Gujarati isn’t his mother tongue? The actor tells us, “They offered me the role of Narsinh Mehta first. I panicked as shooting a daily soap is different from a film, where you are done in two or three months and have time to prepare. Doing a daily soap in a language that I am not familiar with is a creative challenge, but I couldn’t refuse this role.”
He adds, “After Tenali Rama, people wanted to see me play a divine character and would ask me when Krishna would play Krishna on screen! So, when I got this script, I jumped at the opportunity.”
‘fortunately, I came out of that zone where you want to play only lead roles in shows.’

Talking about Hindi TV shows, Krishna, who was initially skeptical about doing Dhruv Tara… since it wasn’t the lead role, says, “After playing one lead role, we (actors) often get stuck in this zone. Indian television is very female-oriented and there’s nothing for male actors to do as hardly any characters are written for them. I was fortunate to get a show like Tenali Rama and then play a negative role in Dhruv Tara…. Fortunately, I came out of that zone where you want to play only lead roles.”
‘Want to take a break from TV and try OTT’
Krishna is eager to experiment with roles now. He says, “I want to play something negative which doesn’t make me look cute, godly or divine. I reentered Dhruv Tara..., where I’ve a rugged look. I thoroughly enjoyed playing a vicious character. I want to do something on the lines of Ranbir Kapoor’s role in Rockstar.”
After Tenali Rama, the actor was offered a lot of similar roles. He says, “I want to take a break from TV and want to give OTT and films a shot. TV doesn’t give me a lot of scope to perform.” He adds, “Trying for OTT projects will mean I will have to struggle again, but I am willing to go for auditions and prove myself. OTT is a different ball game, but I have started meeting people and am waiting for the right character.”
The actor says he does not want to get typecast and so wants to work on changing his boy-next-door image. "I don’t want to be typecast. I have just joined a gym; I want to get six pack abs. I’ll get a new portfolio done. I want to break away from my boy-next-door image. I am 40, I want to look my age," he adds.

‘I have language coaches on the sets of my show to help me get the dialect right’
Krishna, who has also done a Gujarati film (Chal Man Jeetva Jaiye), says that every day on the set feels like an exam. He shares, “I have a few language coaches on the set who help me get the dialect right. This is more difficult since the show requires me to speak in mythological language and not colloquial Gujarati, which I spoke in my film. It requires proper intonation and punctuation, which is challenging. I understand Gujarati but framing sentences is tough.”