! DOC Tales !

He became hugely popular in 1989 as an antagonist in Maine Pyaar Kiya. But Mohnish Behl underwent an image makeover in 1994 with Hum Aapke Hain Kaun and in 2002, with the popular tele-series, Sanjivani. Somya Lakhani finds out what sets apart his comeback show Kuch Toh Log Kahenge from the earlier series with hospital as the backdrop

What is it about Kuch Toh Log Kahenge that made you return to the small screen?

The show is set in a hospital backdrop and is an unconventional story of an older man falling in love with a younger girl. The show traces their journey of bridging that age gap and how love knows no boundaries. I play Dr Ashutosh and Kritika Kamra plays an intern, Niddhi. Both the characters come with their own emotional baggage.

You seem comfortable in the skin of a doctor. You played Dr Veer in Ek Ladki Anjaani Si and then did Dill Mill Gaye, the sequel to Sanjivani. Does the new show on Sony take any of these stories forward?

No. The only common thread between the earlier shows is the backdrop. Kuch Toh... is not a story of doctors and their professional lives. It's essentially a love story between two people with the issue of age-gap to deal with.

With new and mature concepts like Bade Ache Lagte Hain being a success, do you feel that your show has a fair chance of succeeding too?

I think the audience now accepts 'different' kind of shows. I will not term them as mature and put them on a pedestal. I think it's a shift in mentality and this is true for other industries too.

I have received a positive feedback on the promos on air. So, I hope the show will be well-received.

Tell us a little about your character.

Ashutosh is a middle-aged man, who is emotionally recluse. He has lost out on all relationships that mattered. When Niddhi enters his life, a girl of contrasting nature, he sees the shell breaking. He tries to cope with it even as he deal with other sub-issues — male ego and competition with younger men, to name a few.

Does the real-life age difference with Kamra help?

We have shot a few portions and it helps the chemistry. With time, of course, we will understand each other as actors and it will eventually show on screen.

Why did you keep disappearing from the small screen instead of cashing in on the popularity the shows get you?

I am particular about the roles and shows I choose. I only like to do roles which I feel will connect with the audience. Honestly, if this role was offered to me earlier, I would have made a comeback on TV then.

You have had your fair share of films and television. Do you believe that TV has a far-reaching impact?

Yes, television reaches a bigger audience and the shows do stay on air for a long time, unlike films. And if a show does exceedingly well, then it's as big as a film. I am also a part of the film, Force, which releases on September 30.

SOURCE: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/doc-tales/847271/1