Date:10/07/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2009/07/10/stories/2009071050200400.htm

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Multiple roles Shekhar Suman is playing 52 characters in “Tedhi Baat”

Shekhar Suman and ‘Chhupa Rustom’ fame Gurpaal Singh are back on the small screen with a bang to make you laugh till you drop. The duo has come up with a new show “Tedhi Baat Shekhar Ke Sath” on SAB.The show promises loads of tongue-in-cheek humour.

Produced by his company, Windmill Entertainment, recently Shekhar was in Delhi to promote the show.

Here are excerpts from the interview:

What makes Tedhi Baat special?

This is the first time ever in the Indian television’s history where a single actor is playing 52 different characters within a time span of three months.

How demanding was it for you? Playing so many characters in one show was very challenging. Though earlier in “Made in India”, I did play different characters but it was nothing like this. Even in “Chor Machaye Shor” I played nine characters but it’s nothing in comparison to “Tedhi Baat”.

Between the lines, the show draws attention to things and issues which are connected to our daily life and sometimes influence or affect our very survival. I know the audience will enjoy the show as much as I enjoyed doing it.

What is the format of the show?

Each episode is an interview in a question-answer format where the host Gurpal Singh is not able to extract the answers to his questions.

The person who is being interviewed moves away from the question and starts narrating some incident or happening of his life, something totally different from the query, giving the viewers great moments of laughter and fun. The characters are people whom we have met or interacted with, some time or the other in our lives.

Tell us something about the characters you are playing

The audience will see me in unique roles like a fashion designer from London, a cab driver from Jalandhar, a popular cricketer, an actor, who specialises in mythological serials, an electrician, a man with no particular talent, a beggar, a corporate bigwig and so on.

Any similarity between Aaj Tak’s “Seedhi Baat” and “Tedhi Baat”?

Nothing at all, they are complete opposites.

NASREEN GHANI