Lord of the small screen

Telly Talk

The saying goes that there are over 33 crore gods and goddesses in the Hindu mythology, and going by that figure, if there is a show on each of them on Indian television, producers don’t have to worry about churning out programmes for many centuries.

Moreover, going by the success-failure ratio of these mythological shows, they are the best available, and of low risk proposition, for any producer. Be it Ramayan from Ramanand Sagar or Mahabharat from B R Chopra, success has mostly favoured Indian mythological serials.

The latest in the list is Devon Ka Dev Mahadev on Life OK, produced by Nikhil Sinha. Not only has the show about Lord Shiva broken TRP records, but has also turned Mohit Raina — who portrays Lord Shiva — into one of the most sought after celebrities in the Indian television industry.

However, stardom did not come easily for Mohit. The budding chartered accountant decided to come to Mumbai to pursue a career in modelling. A young lad from Kashmir, Mohit had the whole package — stunning looks coupled with muscular physique. So, when he was shortlisted in the top 5 of Grasim Mr India in 2006, there were no surprises.
“I was like any other smalltown boy who wants to make it big in the glamour industry.

I wanted name, fame and money. But I had no clue how to go about it. Someone suggested that participating in a pageant may be a sure ticket to acting, and so I registered myself for Grasim Mr India. In many ways, the pageant opened my eyes to the high standards of the glamour world. I worked hard after realising that, and had to struggle to move forward,” says the onscreen Shiva.

Speaking about his fitness regime, Mohit says, “Before coming to Mumbai, my definition of fitness was going for a morning walk. Only after entering the glamour industry did I realise the importance of maintaining a good physique and found out how tough the competition was.”

This is quite a revelation, coming from a person known for his chiselled looks. So, what is his fitness regime today, after attaining stardom? “I take my work outs very seriously now. I have got this great opportunity to play Lord Shiva and it is a huge responsibility. Exercising and keeping myself fit is a vital part of the role. In fact, when I was chosen for the show, I had to gain some weight. Now, to maintain my look, I do regular work outs, and at times when I miss out due to hectic schedules, I compensate by using the makeshift gym on the sets.”

Mohit keeps a close watch on his diet too. He feels that erratic work hours are not something he can control, but what he eats is completely in his hands. He ensures that he eats only home-cooked meals most of the time.

Getting back to his career, Mohit takes a walk down memory lane and recalls the days when things were not easy for him. Though the Mr India pageant gave him a toehold, the next few years were not so productive. What followed was a slew of not-so-good ventures in small (Ganga Ki Dheej, Chehra, Antariksh) and big (Don Muthuswami) screens. The aspiring actor became a little unsure of his future. However, Devon Ka Dev Mahadev changed his life. After the initial hiccups, Mohit has now metamorphosed into a confident star.

When asked how he has been coping with his new-found stardom, Mohit says, “It is a strange feeling. I have suddenly realised that people around me have become kind and supportive. This was definitely not the case earlier. Now, I have the added advantage of playing Mahadev. Wherever I go, people treat me as if Lord Shiva has arrived. This is also quite embarrassing. I feel people have started getting emotionally attached to me, and they perceive me as a godly figure. Some fans start touching my feet…it becomes really difficult. Then it takes a lot of effort on my part to convince them that I am just Mohit Raina, the actor,” he says.

However, this hysteria is not the first of its kind. Yesteryear actor Arun Govil too got similar treatment when he portrayed Lord Rama in Ramayan. Mohit speaks about an incident where a boy had come all the way from Himachal just to get himself photographed with the onscreen Mahadev. “He wanted me to put my hand on his head and bless him. Initially, I refused to do so, but he said it was for his mother. Finally, I had to give in to his mother’s wishes,” Mohit gushes.

After all, he is being idolised as the lord of the lords.