Bollywood actor Om Puri returns to the small screen after over a decade as a sutradhar or storyteller for new TV show “Chhal Sheh Aur Maat”. But the veteran actor’s morale is low as he feels today’s television is frivolous and is devoid of quality content.
“Television back in the 1980s had meaningful content. Serials like ‘Hum Log’ and ‘Buniyaad’ had much to share, but the small screen has now lost its quality and standard,” Puri told IANS in an interview from Mumbai. “The usual saas-bahu serials are more like people doing a walk on the ramp than acting. I miss the charm of television in previous years,” he said.
Puri feels that impactful and close-to-life dramas are dying and he admits there is a dire need for shows that can create awareness about society. “Television is a great medium and has wider reach than other means of communication. We need to have shows that create social awareness, which is rarely a case in today’s era,” he said. Even comedy shows are not up to the mark, he feels. “Previously we used to see some very good shows, but now even the standards of comedy have declined drastically. There are such poor standards of humour in comedy zones today,” said the actor.
A legendary actor himself, Puri finds it really hard to absorb contemporary stories and plots which seems to lack any depth. And even though “Chhal Sheh Aur Maat” is a contemporary tale of deception, betrayal and mystery, Puri is trying his best to add some sort of depth to his role of a storyteller. The show is about Neha, a newlywed whose life changes dramatically while on a honeymoon when a stranger stakes claim to her life as her husband.
Puri’s unmatched acting skills have always helped him deliver serious and comic roles in his previous projects and now the actor is all set to play the role of a sage in “Chhal Sheh Aur Maat”.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 1st, 2012.
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