Entertainment is missing in today’s TV shows: Shahbaz Khan

Shahbaz Khan, known for his strong performances in shows like Chandrakanta, The Great Maratha and The Sword of Tipu Sultan, was in Ahmedabad recently to promote his new Gujarati film. The veteran actor, who has been a popular onscreen villain and done Gujarati films like Romeo & Radhika, shares, “I love Gujaratis; they are so warm and welcoming. It was a fantastic experience working here, although the industry is a bit informal and different from other industries. I also loved the food here. I love Gujarati food and fafda-jalebi is my all-time favourite.”

Remembering the earlier era of TV shows, he shares, “Television is not the same now and is not doing as great as people have so much content to consume on OTT. Everyone is glued to their phones. People don’t have the patience to watch a show for years. It’s the same with films. Earlier, people would eagerly wait for new releases; now they want to watch films on OTT at their convenience. Still, good content always works.”
He adds, “The main thing missing from movies and TV shows is entertainment. The sheer entertainment of good songs, comic relief and plot is missing as most of the movies and TV shows have become preachy. Occasionally, informative content is fine, but we shouldn’t forget that the purpose of this industry is to entertain. So, I like to experiment with my roles.”

Shahbaz, who has worked in different film industries, says, “I have done Hindi, Marathi and south Indian films, which has been a beautiful experience. I also did a Chinese film (Dying To Survive) a few years back and learned a lot. Chinese people are very hardworking; they shoot for 18 hours a day but don’t get tired. They never waste time on the set and are very energetic. You get to learn a lot from them. They make a movie in just three months and release it, while we take a whole year. We can’t match their hard work.”
He also enjoys doing theatre and loved playing the role of Ravana recently on stage. He says, “It was something different because it’s a complex and powerful role. I had to do a lot of research because he was more than a rakshasa. He was a musician, very talented and had strong faith. Such roles are very interesting and challenging for an actor.”
-Ancela Jamindar