Television actor Mohit Malik spoke to Upasana Singh about how his new serial connects with the desi earthiness and urban chic and will change TV content
The actor was last seen in Doli Armaano Ki (2015) as Samrat Singh Rathore. After a gap of two years, Mohit Malik is back on the small screen with sheer elegance and charm. Yet again, the actor will be seen collaborating with Star Plus through which he started his career back in 2005. "StarPlus is like my home. I started my journey from Miilee which turned out to be the biggest breakthrough of my career. When I was offered to play the lead role in it, I was very skeptical but today I feel blessed to have achieved my dreams 14 years ago."
This time, Malik will be seen in a rockstar avatar, essaying the role of a popular singer Sikander Singh Gill and a separated father. Kulfi Kumar Bajewala, narrates the story of seven-year-old Kulfi (essayed by Aakriti Sharma) and her ability to create a song out of every situation. Set in the backdrop of a village near Pathankot, it is about how Kulfi feels a sense happiness and positivity in any situation with her songs. Elaborating on the idea of an unusual musical drama series, television's admired actor Malik said, "The concept of music with drama is something that I personally have not seen on screen for a long time. With so much drama amalgamating with freshly composed songs, a serene mood will be added to the show, the soul of which is music."
Giving us little glimpses into the plot of the show, Malik shared how the initial few episodes will connect with the audience from both urban and rural terrains. "The show has been made, keeping in mind all kinds of audience.The series has a kid and characters from both rural and urban land. Also, the story runs in flashback as a parallel from rural Punjab to urban Bombay. It has a rustic earthiness to it. The characters have been inspired from real life so people can easily relate to them."
The show has already garnered immense appreciation for its unique story line and the innocence reflected in Kulfi's character. The journey of a daughter to meet her father forms the core of the drama and reflects how music plays a crucial role in bringing them together. Exaggerating on the target audience for the show, Malik added, "Music is not the only thing people would relate to but the character of my wife(Nimrat-Kulfi's mom) will show how a desi mother decides to shift to an urban area while keeping herself attached to her roots. And the same goes for Sikander who is living in a skyscraper but still believes in sanskaar. The societal etiquettes portrayed on the show makes it more relevant for the elder generation whereas the rock songs target the young audience. It's a complete family entertainer."
Although, the audience seems very excited with the concept, many individuals do not know that the show is an adaptation of a Bengali serial. Malik shared the differences the show promises to offer to its Hindi-viewers. "The original version is in Bengali but I would say it's an inspired perspective. Apart from twists, not many changes have been made to the series. Also, the storyline has been framed keeping in mind the taste of the audience."
As shared by Malik, music is the main element in the show which binds a daughter with her father and is also the only reason behind their separation. When asked if he is planning for a debut in singing in the show, he revealed about his training and singing lessons, "To essay the character of a singer, I really wanted to perfect my skills. And, that's why I have been taking lessons in singing to shoot one of the episodes. Though the musical-drama series sounds unique but Malik disclosed interesting elements like the presence of newly composed songs and few adaptations of Hindi songs which will be remixed with a refreshing essence. "Yaara is one such song that binds both me and kulfi as both of us hold a passion for singing."
Recalling his first episode on the show, Malik was amazed to see the technical advancement in television. "I was very surprised to see my first episode. It was no less than a film shoot. Watching it seemed like a film in itself. With such technical creativity and vivid imagination of the creators, daily soaps are rapidly growing parallel to films now."
Essaying the role of Samrat in his last serial, Malik now is looking for new genres and doesn't want to repeat previous characters. "I always look for versatility in my work. Doli Armano Ki has been one of my favourites and now I cannot see myself doing any character below that level. Now that efficiency has stretched to its utmost, I wish to stretch it even more so than earlier. And that compatibility I found in the character of Sikander Singh Gill".
However, being a down to earth soul, he shared what actual success of a show means to him. At the end of the day, I won't mind working in shows that run for years because I have seen how lives of individuals are intertwined to the show. The whole employment of the team is dependent on the length of the serial. This does make me feel monotonous at times but one has to find something new to make it interesting."
On a closing note, when asked about the person who has been a pillar of strength throughout his professional life, he instantly said, "My wife". "Marrying her(Addite Shiwakar) was the turning point in my life. I changed as a person and that's why we are so connected to each other. I was very aggressive like any Delhi boy. I think if she were not in my life, I would not have been the person that I am today."
