The Big Crossover – Article on TV actors taking the plunge for Bollywood
TimesofIndia, Aug 29
As more and more small screen superstars take the big screen plunge, AT finds out what next
It’s the most obvious route. Small screen’s brightest stars are seldom content with their soapy success and often want to explore opportunities on 35 mm. Television is seen as a detour to films.
Even though television’s successful imports to Bollywood – Aman Verma, Amarr Upadhay , Anita Hassanandani, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi, Arif Zakaria, Mandira Bedi – et al haven’t really found filmi glory yet, that hasn’t prevented a new bunch of stars to think Bollywood. Mona Singh, for example , is training to get into an hour-glass shape and is brushing up her Hindi for a career in films.
Ditto for Sanjeeda Sheikh, Nausheen Ali Sardar, Aamna Shariff , Eijaz Khan, Sonal Saigal, Rajeev Khandelwal and Karishma Tanna who have shifted attention to films.
Chetan Hansraj who’s done cameos in Asambhav, has just completed a Telugu film and admits that, “market has opened up for TV actors now. Apart from money, big screen fame is heady.
I enjoy doing films,” he says. Sanjeeda Sheikh who’s doing two prime time shows ( Kayamath and forthcoming Nach Baliye3 ) has been offered some films but she firmly points out, “Everyone dreams of working in Bollywood. I want to be in films too. But I will never quit television because that’s where I started from. I’d rather do TV soaps than a cameo or a C grade film.”
For small screen heartthrob Eijaz Khan (who’s played the lead in TV shows Kya Hoga Nimmo Ka and Kavyanjali ), films are what he’d like to do. Eijaz started off doing cameos in Maine Dil Tujhko Diya, Zameen and Just Married and is playing the lead in Meerabai Not Out . But he sounds cautious, “Films just happened to me. I wanted to take a break and I got an offer for films too at the same time. The other offers are still in the pipeline, so I don’t want to talk about it.”
Rajeev Khandelwal who’s essayed lead roles in Kahin To Hoga, Time Bomb and Left Right Left has been approached by hard-hitting filmmaker Anurag Kashyap for his new production. Rajeev is tight lipped about his films. Sonal Saigal, who played an important role in Sara Akash and the lead role in Hotel Kingston, is wrapping up Nagesh Kukunoor’s Aashayein opposite John Abraham and claims to have given up on television for “now” . Others like Aamna Shariff, Karishma Tanna and Nausheen Ali Sardar have also taken a “break” from TV to chase their Bollywood dreams.
Not everyone’s willing to take the big screen plunge though. Hiten Tejwani (who’s played important roles in Jogger’s Park, Anwar and Krishna Cottage) and Shabbir Ahluwalia (Shootout At Lokhandwala) are more comfortable doing television. Hiten Tejwani points out, “I don’t have a godfather in the film industry who’ll offer me good roles on a platter. I wouldn’t say ‘no’ to good films, but I like television.”
And if some of these big screen treks turn out to be box-office winner then expect more such cross-overs .
All the best to eiju piju…
youuu can do it!!!!!!!!
Comment by Shireen — August 28, 2007 @ 9:37 pm
cant wait for MNO to release!
best of luck to Eijaz
Comment by Mohini — August 29, 2007 @ 12:26 am
best of luck to eijaz
anita’s films hv not done that good but not that bad also.she’s not such a flop as they’re saying.i don’t understand their problem. all the time they’re saying bad things about her
Comment by tasshuy11 — August 29, 2007 @ 10:35 am
anita is d best!!
ppl r just jealous of her
and best of luck to eijaz and anita dfrot heir carrier ahead!
Comment by Anonymous — August 29, 2007 @ 2:13 pm
Anita I have the utmost respect for,
henceforth this fansite 
Kuch to Hai did ok but she was rocking the nation,
known as the ding dong babe, and next as the
bindaas girl, those are the two most memorable things
from those movies – not tusshar, sohail, isha etc.
she got a lot of “cheap” offers
but was looking for substance,
she could be really very popular and a big name today
if she had decided to do those cheap roles that Neha, Isha and Rakhi Sawant have done. She really hasn’t gotten her due and since she doesn’t play the media or market herself, she probably isn’t going to… which is sad…
BUT she should know that she has loads of huge fans…
Comment by VluvAnita.net — August 29, 2007 @ 6:38 pm
I agree. yaar cookie’s resume speaks for itself. She has done very well for herself so far and the best thing is that she is improving with each and every performance
Yeah she is private and doesnt give many interviews or talk about Eijoo but personally thats what I like about her. Saying nothing….sometimes says the most. Rock on cookie
and love to eiju piju…hope his films release soon and become big hits
Comment by Shireen — August 29, 2007 @ 10:34 pm
I just found out meerabai and krishna were a jodi…
courtesy dollsofindia.com
Radha and Mirabai are seen as the twin zeniths of devotion for Lord Krishna. Opposites in some sense and yet so much one in their love for the lord, the devotion of Mirabai and Radha for Krishna show the oneness of eroticism and renunciation, and finally, the convergence of both into the omnipresent soul of Krishna in the form of single-minded love and devotion.
Soooooooo when is meerbai releasing?????
coz now we even know the history behind the name…lol
Comment by Shireen — August 29, 2007 @ 10:40 pm
wasnt krishna a jodi with 20000 other women…
eijooooooooo :-/
Comment by VluvAnita.net — August 29, 2007 @ 11:23 pm
it’s so true.something which is great about her that she did not do any cheap roles like other heroines and that esha deol.i simply love anita for this and that her work speaks for her
Comment by tasshuy11 — August 30, 2007 @ 9:48 am