Jamai No 1 actor Abhishek Malik: ‘Men are hardly heard on TV shows’

What drew Abhishek Malik to Jamai No 1 For starters he says the character is similar to his offscreen persona More importantly the actor was kicked about headlining ldquothe only malecentric showrdquo on television right now While most daily soaps focus on women Malik is confident that the lighthearted Jamai No 1 will appeal to not only women but also men In conversation with midday he talks about bagging the central role enjoying the responsibility of a protagonist and not giving up on love after his divorceEdited excerpts from the interviewJamai No 1 instantly reminds us of Jamai Raja Does your show have anything to do with the Ravi Dubey and Nia SharmastarrerMy character Neel hails from Trimbakeshwar he is religious and a hustler He doesnrsquot want to be a pandit like his father He has other expectations from life but things donrsquot always pan out as per his wishes You canrsquot compare the two shows Irsquom hoping that my show does as well as Jamai Raja My character has a lot of flavour and masti The story is different from the usual saasbahu dramasWhat was your reaction when you were approached for the showI got a reading six months ago This is the only show for which I have done 10 mock shoots in a week They grilled me before signing me on but loved me as the character is similar to what I am in real life My entry is almost cinematic The promo had a Rohit Shetty vibe to itUsually the target audience for TV shows is women at home and men are seen playing supporting characters Is the reverse true for your showMy role is a huge responsibility I report at the set at 8 am and leave by 8 pm I havenrsquot delivered as many lines in any other show as I have here in the last 1213 episodes I am the lsquoheroinersquo of the show because I get to do a lot of work and Irsquom loving it This is the only malecentric show right now On TV shows men are hardly heard Here I get to speak so much Let alone women even men will connect with the showHave your roles ever had an impact on your lifeYeh Hai Mohabbatein was very close to my heart After that Kumkum Bhagya gave me a lot of acknowledgement Irsquom sure this role will create an impact tooWhen it comes to matrimony rarely do people look for a person who is jobless and lacks stability How do you think the audience will receive a ghar jamaiIn a marriage both parties are equal Money should never be a criterion love should matter more If there is no affection that relationship cannot sustain There is a reason why Neel has agreed to become a jamai He is crafty but is also selfreliant and honourableYoursquove usually played characters much younger than you Do you think actors have a screen age that affects their shelf lifeI do believe actors have a screen age Nobody wants to play a father everyone wants to be the lead But to wait for protagonist roles is difficult There are some who can sustain themselves without roles because they have a strong financial background But at a certain point people have to compromise Irsquove been lucky to not be in that space OTT has given actors opportunities like never before but they donrsquot repeatedly cast TV actors Some makers have that mindsetHave you faced prejudice for being an actor on televisionNot really Irsquom not very choosy When I take up work the production house matters a lot to me You have to be wise in choosing the right production house I have been blessed to be part of Balaji showsThe pay parity in movies has been a topic of debate for long In the TV industry do women have the upper handThat depends entirely on the channel Every show has its own budget With Zee TV is currently revamping their lineup things have been good The show is centred on my character so money wasnrsquot the criterion here This is a dream role for any television actor After your divorce are you back on the dating sceneI am single again Right now Jamai No 1 doesnrsquot even allow me to go home have a drink and sleep In the future if I bump into someone who is compatible with me why not I have not given up on love There was a time when I was a little broken but now Irsquom okay Life teaches you a lot and I have learnt a lot of things after the divorce God has been kind with me because I got the time to understand what I want Now I just want to take it very slow