‘Mihir’ returns to small screen

KANCHANA BANERJEE

“People have forgotten the earlier Dev but they still remember the first Mihir,” says Amar Upadhaya, who shot into overnight fame and recognition as Mihir Virani of phenomenally successful Kyonki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi>/i>. Every bit confident (bordering on arrogance) Amar refuses to acknowledge the fact that his movie Dhund sank without a murmur and that’s why he’s back on the small screen.

His second coming on TV has been very low key and though his role as the separated lover Dev/ Raj in Aruna Irani’s love triangle Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand>/i> is popular, it isn’t a patch on the frenzy his role as Mihir had caused.

The role made him the instant favourite of women across ages. Young girls wanted to marry a man like him, mothers wanted a son like him and grandmothers craved for a grandson like him. When Mihir gets killed in a car accident, Ekta Kapoor (producer) was forced by calls, messages and emails to bring him back to life. And when after a successful run, Amar stepped out of the show refusing to play an elderly 40-year-old Mihir, the audience was once again shaken. The channel and production house tried to replace Amar and the show’s popularity slid considerably.

“Yes, Mihir’s role made me and ended the years of struggle. It happens to very few and I’m lucky to be among the chosen few. So strong was my presence that the audience didn’t want anybody else. Even today after one-and-a-half years of absence from the serial, people still call me Mihir.”

Talking of the failure of his movie Dhund at the box office, Amar says, “Dhund bombed because of bad PR. The film was fantastic.” But why would the crown prince of TV leave the turf after such a short spell when he could have gone ahead to become the badshah of TV? “I would be mad to refuse the offers that I got. My role in J P Dutta’s LoC is like Akshaye Khanna’s role in Border. Wah Wah Ramji with Paresh Rawal is yet another fantastic film in hand. Life is all about taking risks and sticking one’s neck out. You win some, you lose some.”

But why the low-key return to TV? “The role of Dev/ Raj interested me and my role in Kya Dil Ne Kaha (a new serial to begin on Sony TV) is an interesting character with shades of grey.” He has standard answers for questions to pin him down and attempts to extract an admission of the fact that he has had to eat the humble pie draws none.

All he says - “I left Kyonki… as I was reluctant to play a role of a man 20 years older than myself. I don’t regret it at all. I got great film offers. The debut film didn’t work but that doesn’t mean I’m finished. I have many others lined up and none of the TV stars can match the films I have.”

Only time will tell how he fares on the big screen and if he is able to resurrect himself on TV too and relive the Mihir frenzy in another role.