I don’t fit into female oriented saas-bahu shows: Siddharth Arora

Shooting on home turf for the first time, Banarasi actor

Siddharth Arora

, seen in TV shows 'Mukti Bandhan', '

Krishna Kanhaiya

', is more than just happy. “Home is always special and getting the opportunity to work from there is just amazing,” says the actor who plays the protagonist, in Mandira Kashyap's show which is written by Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi. Enjoying every minute of the shoot in Varanasi, the actor says, “I never realised that such a beautiful location exists on the outskirts of Banaras. To reach Narayanpur, where we are shooting, and which is nearly 20 kms from Banaras, we crossed through an area that is rich in scenic beauty. Blooming mustard fields, the vast expanse of river

Ganga

made everything appear so pristine and beautiful. In fact, Ganga appeared so inviting, as the water was very clean, that I took time out to swim in the river. When I told the boatman to take me into the mainstream of the river, he appeared apprehensive but I told him ‘main Banaras ka hoon aur maine tairna Ganga mein hi seekha hai’. I enjoyed a good swim in the river taking everyone by surprise. What also adds to the pleasure of shooting at home is that one returns to the family after work, feeling more energised and ready to go for the next day.”
Talking about the show, the actor reveals that it is a finite series where governance during a different era of history will be depicted. “Getting the opportunity to work with Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi, who is an institution in himself, was an amazing experience. He gave insight in lot of things, which will be very helpful for me as an actor,” he says.

Siddharth Arora shooting for the TV serial in Varanasi (BCCL)

Siddharth, who has also earlier appeared in period shows like

Singhasan Battisi

, says, “I always wanted to do something meaningful on television and did not want to be part of saas-bahu saga. The irony is, there is nothing much left for male actors except to do period, historical and mythological shows, if they want to do something meaningful. As an actor, such shows not only add to our insight but also give the opportunity to perform. On the contrary, I don’t fit into female-oriented saas–bahu shows as I don’t feel connected to it. As an actor if I don’t have conviction for something, then I cannot perform. Those shows, which are backed by facts and based on our culture, I feel more convinced about, so I can act better in them. Even to the makers of such shows, I appear more historical to them, so they choose me for such shows,” he says with a laugh.
On a serious note Siddharth believes that such period and mythological shows have a responsibility towards their audience. “Youngsters today get to know about our Indian culture through such TV shows rather than through books. Personally, even I gained a lot of information about

Ramayan

and

Mahabharat

through the popular shows that were aired on TV, which is still imprinted on my mind. So such period and mythological shows should not be diluted for the sake of TRPs, rather their authenticity should be maintained,” he says.
On the personal front, the actor says, “Staying for longer periods at home certainly mounts the pressure of getting married. Parents tend to talk about marriage when you are around, especially when your peers are getting married. But when they see me work hard and focus on my career, they support me in all my decisions. Personally, I believe that there is never a right time to get married, what matters is to find the right partner. So when you find one, then only one should get married. I am waiting for the right person as I am not in a hurry to get married.”