The complete baddie

Kiran Karmarkar doesn’t quite understand why his negative turn in Prakash Jha’s Raajneeti didn’t translate into more roles in Bollywood. But television certainly seems to have taken a shine to his villainous streak as he landed two back-to-back roles that spell bad.

While he’s done with his character of the wicked, kohl-lined Tej Singh in Uttaran he will be seen as Balraj Asthana in Zee’s Badalte Rishton Ki Daastan. “I am completely enjoying it. I have taken off the kohl and kept just the beard,” he says, running his hand across his face. A suited-booted businessman, Asthana is one who wreaks havoc in the lives of his own family. “His aim is clear. He wants all his property for himself and he won’t stand anyone coming in his way. He won’t think twice before playing with people’s lives,” he says, about his character. Ask him why his rascal cop act in Raajneeti didn’t fetch him more roles and he shrugs his shoulders, “I was appreciated for my two scenes; people seemed to notice me but I don’t know why nothing more happened.”

Is finding roles even in TV getting more difficult? “Yes, it is because ratings are important and there are only a handful of actors who can deliver and just about a few roles that are meaty too. So it becomes difficult to always get the right fit.”

Recently, Sakshi Tanwar, his co-star of Kahani Ghar Ghar Kii had talked about how blessed she is to have got an equally good role in Bade Achhe Lagte Hain. “Well, we all want to do good roles and successful shows but I can assure you in the last two years I must have turned down at least 50 roles (Raj Zutshi’s in Madhubala was one). Success or failure is secondary, I am content with whatever I have got so far.”