Male actors refuse to go grey

In a scenario wheregeneration leaps are almost a mandate in most prime time dailies sporting greyhair is almost a given, but small screen’s male heartthrobs would ratherhappily let go of shows than look ‘old’. Their excuse: playing oldercharacters will put them in a senior actor category and reduce their careerspan.Actor Kinshuk Mahajan quit Sapna Babul Ka...Bidaai (at a time when the show was ruling the TRP charts) because he didn’t want to be part of the eight year leap the show took and sat home for a few months before doing his next show! Reality show star turned prime time actor Vishal Karwal quit Sab Ki Jodi Wahi Banaata... Bhagyavidhata because he didn’t want to ‘grey’ in the shows. Vishal admits, “I can’t play a 40 plus man with conviction, so I quit the shows.” Actor Akshay Sethi who’s doing Sasural Genda Phool, feels that it is better to play roles which suit one’s age and personality. “Playing a father too early in one’s career may be considered being ‘versatile’ but most actors feel that playing older roles mean getting similar offers in the future,” avers Akshay.Aditya Redij quit Na Aana Iss Des Laadofor the same reason and had to wait for another show for eight months.“Laado... had set a benchmark for me and I wanted to do a show that wasmore exciting. I didn’t want to be a part of the leap, so I decided toleave the show,” he says. Ravi Dubey who’s the male lead in Saas Bina Sasural says, “I want to play my age and don’t want to be a dad for the next 10 years. When I look young and there are roles that suit me, there is no need to take that route.” Karan Tacker from Rang Badalti Odhani adds, “If one plays a father’s role early in one’s career then the makers think several times before taking them in a new show as a young lead character.”Showmakers are divided onthis. Producer-director Rajan Shahi says, “Sometimes the story linedemands that an actor should grow old and an actor who is confident about hisperformance will not worry about his image.” Director Rajan Waghdharesays, “In the past when young actors played older roles they found itdifficult to get ‘young’ roles later. Actors believe that if theyagree to ‘grey’ on screen then their career ends soon. Today evenmiddle age actors want to play younger roles.”For those of youthought age was just a number, take a closer look at our telly hotties who stillthink ‘grey’ is a dirty shade in their picture-perfect screenlives!