TOI: Dunno y tv is called regressive-Shabbir

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Actor-producer Shabir Ahluwalia talks about his different moves in showbiz

Actor Shabir Ahluwalia is among those who's managed to tread a different path in showbiz. Remember his telly innings with shows likeKayamath, Laagi Tujhse Lagan and a string of reality show participations, and of course hisBollywood dreams with Shoot Out At Lokhandwala and Mission Istanbul? What keeps Shabir busy now is his role as a producer with shows like Ganga Ki Dheej and his latest offeringSavitri. Shabir is now keen to experiment with various genres that would make an interesting watch. Excerpts from an interview:

What made you eye the entertainment pie in a tad different manner considering that you were doing well as an actor?
I have been acting for quite sometime. After a point of time I said to myself that I want to spend time with my family, want to travel across the world and devote more time networking with friends. So, I got married (to Kanchi Kaul) in the meanwhile and got settled in life. I planned and dedicated all the time I had thinking about production because somewhere down the line I felt I had nothing to lose in life. Uncertainties are part of life, but that's how life is. When I look back at things, I think 'god's been really kind to me' and that I have got a supportive family and a wife.

From reading the script as an actor to hunting for a TRP-tripping script as a producer, what are the challenges that you have come across?
The crux of handling production lies in lot of co-ordination. And it requires one to give more time than what one initially thinks. There are, of course, challenges in every decision you take - to find out exactly who fits in the bill perfectly to a role is very crucial. Another important aspect one should keep in mind is production is a collective effort.

What made you chose fantasy thriller as your current offering?
When you have wonderful actors and a great SFX team working 24X7 for you, dealing with a fantasy thriller becomes more intoxicating. A simple love story doesn't interest me. What moves me is how differently a love story is packaged with some creative experimentation. I don't like to limit myself to only one genre because dealing with different genres gives me the creative kick. It becomes an expensive affair when you deal with special effects, and have dedicated professionals working frame by frame to create those effects. In the end, the outcome of your thought process is the biggest reward that you get.

Is it important to have a mentor in showbiz who acts like a pathfinder?
Having a mentor definitely helps. Mentors always offer you a different perspective without ever taking anything away from you. I give a lot of credit to Ekta (Kapoor) and her team. I was really feeling at home while working with Ekta and always look up to her as someone who has done very different shows. I would love to be known as someone who has given such a great body of work to TV.

There's a faction of the TV fraternity that finds TV shows regressive. Do you agree?
I don't know why people call TV shows regressive? I never felt that way. There have been stories dealing with various issues of social importance. Even couple of years back, there were shows that gave out messages of social reforms. The treatment of each story has been different from show to show. According to me Indian television is very audience friendly.