His portrayal of Hindu mythological figure Krishna remains one of the most memorable roles on television but actor Nitish Bharadwaj, who is all set to make a comeback after 20 years with Mohenjo Daro, says he is keen to explore modern stories with challenging roles.
Bharadwaj became a household name after playing Krishna in BR Chopra’s Mahabharat and he says while he enjoyed his stint in mythological dramas, he is equally comfortable with commercial movies.
“I want to explore modern stories. I am open to the characters that are interesting to play and challenge me as an actor. I’m ready to accept challenging human emotions after having dealt with divine ones,” said Bharadwaj.
A theatre director, Bharadwaj made his directional debut with feature film Pitruroon. He will play an indigo farmer Durjan in Mohenjo Daro.
“It was challenging for me after having done Krishna and mythical TV show Vishnu Puran and other similar characters. Playing a mere mortal is a challenge when you are doing lord who is above all the human emotions,” he joked.
Tight-lipped about his role of Durjan, Bharadwaj said, “This character has certain amount of mystery around him. He is not too straight a character, which is interesting.”
When asked about his long gap from the industry, the TV star said, “I was looking out for a different kind of role which would not be anywhere identical to Krishna and also television kept me busy.”
Bharadwaj says Gowariker has known him for a long time and has thus, perhaps, trusted him with the character, who is a crucial part of the story.
“Ashu [Gowariker] knows me since my theatre days, even before Krishna. He probably trusted my ability to perform a very different roles than what popularly people know me for. So it is his trust in me as an actor that made him approach me. He thought I’ll do justice to the part,” he said.
