'It's a challenge to get away from a mythological image'

Rendezvous

He immortalised Lord Krishna for the Indian audience through his role in B R Chopra’s TV adaptation of the Mahabharata. Now actor Nitish Bharadwaj is all set to return to the big screen with filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker’s Mohenjo Daro which is scheduled to release on August 12. On being asked what kept him away for so long, he says that the “roles coming my way were not very different” from what he has done before.

However, he adds that his role in the upcoming periodic drama, which stars actors Hrithik Roshan and Pooja Hegde in lead roles, is different — which is why he took it up.

“My character’s name is Durjan. But I can certainly say that people will not hate him. Ashutosh wanted an unusual and unpredictable casting for Durjan, so he offered it to me. He was gutsy to do so. I took it as a challenge so that I can do a different kind of role — that of a man and not a god,” Bharadwaj tells Metrolife.

He, however, admits that “it is a big challenge to get away from a mythological image”, and expresses hope that he will be able to achieve that through Durjan.

Apart from Mohenjo Daro, the actor will also be seen in director Mukul Abhyankar’s Yaksh in the lead role. Additionally, Bharadwaj, whose directorial debut (released in Marathi) had won five awards including the Best Film and Best Director at the
Maharashtra State Awards, is working on his next script which he says will “mostly be in Hindi”.

Describing the medium of films as being “more challenging” than television, the artiste who wishes to essay Chanakya’s character some day, says it is so “because you don’t get instant audience reaction. So, you have to be close to perfection, which makes you give your best shot”.