He has donned many hats — a lover boy in love Story, a tough cop in Encounter and a villain in Maharakshak Aryan. Mishal Raheja is now back on Ishq Ka Rang Safed as a Banarasi lawyer who falls in love with a young widow. He talks to Sangeeta Yadav about his experience of swimming in the Ganges and dealing with the serious issue of widow remarriage
Ishq Ka Rang Safed is your third big show after love Story and laagi Tujhse lagan. How is it shaping upIJ
It’s a very different love story which is set in Banaras. I play Viplav Tripathi, an llB student who aspires to go to the US for further studies. His life turns upside down when he sees Dhaani, a young widow who lives in an ashram. It is love at first sight. The story has love, romance, drama, hope and aspirations.
The story touches upon the serious issue of widow remarriage. What do you have to say about thatIJ
Widow remarriage is just the backdrop. We are not trying to go into details and make it a sad story. It’s a very serious issue in our country but we are trying to show the better and lighter side of this issue and talk about the problems that are associated with it. Through the show, we want people to deal with this issue in a better way.
Was it difficult to play a Banarasi boyIJ
Fortunately my chauffeur, who has been with me for 25 years, belongs to UP. So the dialect I got from him. Before we started shooting for the show, I started speaking in the dialect that was needed.
The creative team told me to go easy on it, since the show is for everyone in the country. So, it is simple Hindi with a splash of Bhojpuri. To get the style and body language, the first week of the shooting was done in the Banaras where I went out observing young boys, see how they dress, where do they hangout etc. I went to Hindu College in Banaras and saw the youth there and got a little idea from there as well.
How is your experience working with Rupali and Pintoo GuhaIJ
One of the major reasons I took up the show was working with astute producers and amazing human beings. We share the same wave length. Their functioning is very smooth. So everything fall into place easily. They are the makers of Uttaran which ran for six years. They understood what the audience needs. Over the years, they have gained the knowledge and experience to provide the audience with the perfect comb-ination of love and family drama.
What expectations do you have from this showIJ
I hope we enlighten the people who put unnecessary restrictions on them and think that widow remarriage is taboo. We want to tell people that widows can remarry. Every human being has the right to be happy.
How was your experience shooting on the Ganga ghatIJ
I jumped into the Ganga for the first time in my life. The boat was stopped in the middle of the river around 30-40 metres away. I had to swim 20 metres in deep waters from the boat to the shore. The current was so strong that it took me diagonally. It was scary but turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences of my life.
The shelf life of TV shows has been reduced. Don’t you feel insecure that you show could be cut shortIJ
We expect the worst and hope for the best. No one can foresee these things. I believe that if they have good performers and gripping story then nothing will stop them from hitting the big numbers.
You started working on TV at a young age. How has the journey been so farIJ
I don’t think my career has started yet. Whatever I have done so far, has been a stepping stone. I was fortunate enough to get love Story with Anurag Basu so early in my career. After getting famous as Dutta Bhau in lagi Tujhse lagan, I didn’t want to do just any show. My cameo in Maharakshak Aryan as an illusionist from the dark world was something I loved doing. The director gave me a free hand. like the Joker in Batman went all out, I did the same in this show. Then came Encounter directed by Ankush Bhatt. It was a demanding project. So, I have become cautious about the kind of roles I want to do. I prefer to wait for the right opportunity.
What else is keeping you busyIJ
I have my own cab service business in Mumbai called Party Hard Drivers. Salman Khan’s accident prompted me to start this in 2007. I want people to enjoy their party — drink, but not drive after that. I started with 40 drivers and today we have 300 drivers. I have plans to expand the business in Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai as well in the near future.