Mohnish makes a comeback on TV

After a hiatus of almost two-and-a-half years, Mohnish Bahl is back on the tube with a new assignment. The senior actor will be seen hosting upcoming crime series Hoshiyaar —Sahi Waqt Sahi Kadam.

The actor insists that the latest offering is different from scores of other crime shows that have been aired on television. He explains, “Our show deals with how to avert crime. If you notice that something is wrong, as a layman, one can prevent it from happening altogether. I think the concept arouses curiosity and will work. I liked how it puts a positive spin on something negative.”

The actor admits that hosting the show was quite a challenge since he had to delicately put forth the facts. He says, “I had to convey the nuances of the script rather delicately — my attitude and tone has to change according to the nature of the crime. It’s a nice challenge to be associated with something like this.”

Even though the actor was appreciated for his role in his last show Kuch Toh Log Kahenge, the show made news when he quit. His exit jeopardised the prospects of the show and it had to be pulled off air.

He says, “I was the biggest loser for not being able to carry on with the show. I enjoyed playing Dr Ashutosh so much. It is very rare to get a role in television at my age. The parting has been tough in every sense, since the media too was constantly speculating about my exit.”

He continues, “A lot was written about how my wife was uncomfortable about the so-called intimate scenes between me and Kritika. It was ridiculous. She would have had a problem when I was younger and romancing my heroines onscreen. I left the show because I had serious health issues. I was popping painkillers and my spine surgeon had told me to slow down or I would end up in ICU. The production house would have not given me that kind of time out so I had to leave,” shares Mohnish.

The hiatus turned out to very long after the unceremonious exit. So, was there dearth of work coming the actor’s way? He explains, “Good projects don’t come frequently. I don’t get the roles I would like to do like Hum Aapke Hai Koun or Force. If I don’t take up a project that helps me maintain the name that I have made over the years, it’s a let down. It’s better to leave an impact than to take up work that belittles your credentials as an actor. I can’t play a hero and there is also dearth of good roles coming to me. In a daily soap, you have to put in at least 16 hours every day. I cannot mentally and physically cope with that kind of set up any more. I am incapable of doing television at this stage.”