Talented TV actor and IPL(Season 1) host Shiv Pandit tries his luck at stardom after duds like ‘Aage Se Right’. He is a part of Anurag Kashyap’s produced noir genre film,‘Shaitan’ directed by Bejoy Nambiar. Sandeep Hattangadi caught up with Pandit to discuss his upcoming film and career.
Can you describe your character in Shaitan?
I play Dushyant Saha aka Dash who is a street smart operator peddling dope to rich kids in the film, played by Kalki Koechlin, Neil Bhoopalam, Gulshan Devaiya and Kirti Kulhari. Apart from their daily fix, they depend on him to bail them out of trouble. KC(Gulshan Devaiya) really looks up to Dash and my character is responsible for most of the under-handed plans these guys execute.A similar plan goes awry and the cops (Rajeev Khandelwal) chase us.
What is the shaitan in your character?
Dash is very selfish and cunning. He talks less, but thinks miles ahead.
What is the shaitan in you personally?
I seem to have a habit of forgetting the present and living in lala land. I also want to cut down my excessive sweets intake.
There are some bold scenes between you and Kalki?
We had a few scenes, that may seem intimate, as there is a romantic suggestion between both our characters in the film. But I am not allowed to reveal more than what’ is depicted in the movie promo.
You began with TV fiction, then hosted IPL (Indian Premier League) and now films?
Yes, I just did ‘FIR’, however I did not do the caricature character for long as I always wanted pursue acting in films. Anchoring IPL was fun, I got to watch the matches from the best seats in the stadium and also meet my favorite cricketers. More importantly, IPL made me a well known face within a matter of few weeks, although I had been on TV for over a year.
Would you do TV again?
Sadly, our current process does not allow you play leads on both the small and big screen simultaneously. Once I establish myself in cinema, then I might return to the idiot box, depending on the assignment offered.
Have you any time encountered the dark side of Bollywood?
I have been very fortunate to only meet good people. It is a matter of great pride to have worked in Anurag Kashyap’s home production. When such talented people recognize and appreciate your hard work, you are motivated to put in that extra effort.
Shiv, the hardwork is surely to pay you handsomely, keep up the good work and break a leg.