Milind Gunaji is all set to yet again leave a mark as a great performer in Suryaa Films Kreation’s forthcoming Crime thriller serial ‘SID- Faarz’. The serial has been produced by Dr. Mrunalini A. Dayal and directed by Rajesh Gupta. Milind’s character is of an intelligent, sharp, quiet and brave officer Ankush Gokhle. Serial will be on air from Friday, September 10, every Thursday and Friday at 8.30 PM on DD1. It has the star cast of Rajiv Verma as Chief of SID Mr. Ahuja, Milind Gunaji as Ankush Gokhle, Raju Mavani as Major Rajput, Sankar Mishra as Gangadhar Pandey, Jahid Ali as Zafar Ali, Sharmili Raj as Rajni, Prita Jain etc.
In conversation with Milind Gunaji, he spoke at length on the character and the experience on both big and small screen so far.
You’ve already ventured in Hindi cinema and Marathi serials. However ‘SID- Faarz’ is your first Hindi serial. What took you so long to accept Hindi Serial?
Hindi serials are not new to me. I had featured in a serial called Kurukshetra on Zee TV long time ago. Only after judging my work in the serial did Mukesh Bhatt give me a role in his film, Fareb. That was just a beginning and since then there was no looking back. I have done a variety of roles and enjoyed the stint.
Shed some light on your character in ‘SID-Faarz’?
The story revolves around my character of Ankush Gokhle in SID-Faarz. He is a senior investigative officer. It is quite similar to the role played by Mr. Shivaji in ‘CID’. I’m heading a team of 4-5 officers here, who investigate various crimes with their expertise. He is a brave and a competent officer, who helps his team to reach the conclusion in every case. Each case story runs into two episodes. But ‘SID’ is not like ‘CID’. Only the genre crime thriller is a common point.
How did you get this offer and what prompted you to accept this serial?
I have longtime association with ‘SID’s’ producer, Dr. Mrunalini Dayal who has directed me in films Dhuaan and Manthan. I always believed in her vision of cinema and also the director, Rajesh Gupta is a well-known face on DD channel. So, I could not refuse to work with such good and experienced people. In fact it’s been a pleasurable experience.
For your character, have you done any extra preparation?
No…no extra preparations et all. As I’ve done a lot of roles in my career and each role has been a learning curve. Now, I don’t need to do anything extra to perform. It all comes naturally now.
The serial is about investigating the crime, is it based on real life stories or fiction?
The stories are not real, but very close to reality. It is reflection of what is happening in the society today. However, to make it more authentic, it’s a mix of both real incidents and fiction. They are little more dramatized for entertainment value, but the way they are solved is very scientific and calculative. And it shows the intellect and determination of our forces, not the usual buffoonery showed in films and television.
What difference do you see in both television and films since you have ventured in both?
There is not much of a difference. The definition of acting does not change be it films or television. One has to give his/her best in any medium. But concentration level is high in cinema, compared to serials. For a movie, you do 1-2 scene in 2-3 days, while it takes just 1-2 days to shoot for 10 -12 scenes in serials.Acting becomes quite mechanical in serials.
There are too many projects, regional as well as Hindi movies too, in your hands. How do you manage your time?
Yes, I am handling loads of projects in Hindi, Bhojpuri, Marathi, and Kannad simultaneously. Recently, I won the best negative role award for a Marathi serial. I’m thankful to all the production teams who consider my hectic schedule and try to adjust the shoots accordingly; otherwise, it could have been really difficult for me to manage. So in a way, my time management is done by my producers (laughs).
Do you have any memorable incident or moment while shooting for this particular show?
As the serial has been shot indoors, I don’t remember any particular incidents. But it’s always a pleasure to work with a nice and dedicated team.
What do you want to say about the director and your co-stars?
The director, Rajesh Gupta is a veteran in this field. He treats his story very nicely. As far as the co-stars are concerned, they all are regular artists and very co-operative. Professionally, we’ve all complemented each other in the serial.
In one line, why do you think people should watch this show?
Due to the curiosity and suspense in this serial, I think people will definitely watch and will also like the show.
