~*~*~Maayka Articles Archive~*~*~ - Page 4

Vivan says: "For the introduction shot they required a sports car but on that day some technical problems occurred so shooting couldn't take place. The next time they asked me to use my sports car and I agreed. I'm more comfortable with my car. I am habitual to driving my car. It looks good as well so there was no problem in using it. I mean why not? I have a Toyota MR2. It's a 1988 model and it's red in colour. I bought the car three years ago from someone who owned it in Mumbai. It looks like a mini Ferrari for me. It's like poor man's Ferrari or my version of the Ferrari if I would have one. Maybe one day I'll buy the real one but right now this is good enough for me."

Vivan provided his own car free of cost for the shoots saying, "I wouldn't charge them for something so silly. I would not like to discuss the money aspect for the car and other stuff. I have only one sports car. But hopefully down the line I'll have more."

The actor can't stop gushing about his 'mini-Ferrari'
"I like everything about my car! I like the way it looks, the way it sounds and the way it drives. I like to feel its speed. That is an adrenaline rush."

Vivan is possessive of his 14 lakh car
"It has facilities which every normal car has. If I want to go from one location to the other it gets me faster; that is all. It's different from any other sports car because of its looks. It's vintage- a classic. It reflects one's attitude and shows how that person is passionate about cars. It's a difficult car to maintain because parts are not easily available but some way down the line you have to be passionate about it.

I'm very possessive about my car. Nobody else drives my car except me. I don't mind people touching my car as long as there is no harm done to it. I have it polished it once a week. I do a routine maintenance of my car myself- small mechanical jobs here and there I can take care of myself. I always have my toolkit and my music there. My girlfriend was the first person to sit in my car."

Racing is in his blood
"I have a passion for racing since my childhood. My family from my dad's side was majorly into racing. My dad's brothers are into racing. He participated in the MRF team and in they won the Malaysian Grand Prix and stuff like that. Ashley and Cherry Bathena are their names. I have literally grown up on the track. I have always had a passion for speed. Earlier I could never have supported it financially because motor sport is the most expensive professions. Now that I have the ability to fulfill some of my ambitions I can go ahead with it."

About his role in Maayka
"I'm playing the character of Shabd Sareen who is a rich photographer from the UK. He is like a breath of fresh air in the show. He takes things very lightly and is very good at his job. He is admired by everyone around him and women especially love him. That reflects in his attitude; in the way he speaks with women. He finally comes across Neha Bamb's character Mahi and in her he finds something different. It is something he has never encountered in the past women as he was used to women drooling all over him. Mahi is different and that's the factor which attracts him. It's a lead role in Maayka right now. It's going to be a hero's role. We shot about two episodes and we'll finish couple of episodes by the end of this week."

Vivan is also playing the lead role of Druv in Kumkum. He played an important role in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi as well as many other serials. Vivan won the title of Grasim Mr. India in 2001 before he moved on to serials.

Sapana Patil Poojary

Friday, April 27, 2007  18:10 IST

 

Actor Vivan Bathena, who was last seen in 'Kumkum' (Star Plus) is all set to enter 'Maayka' (Zee) as the suave photographer Shabd. His character is supposed to reflect attitude and hence the creative team decided upon shooting his introductory scene showing him step out of his swish sports car.

The production unit had arranged for a car but it didn't arrive on the sets at the last minute. The unit was hassled over getting a car at a short notice until Vivan offered to use his personal car, a Toyota MR2. Vivan says, "I didn't mind using my car for the shoot. The unit had deadlines to meet and we couldn't wait for another car to be arranged."  

But how does Vivan, a model turned actor have a penchant for sports car? Vivan laughs as he replies, "My father and my uncle are former professional bike racers. I have
grown on the tracks literally! I too love racing although I didn't take it up professionally. But I take part in the speed run every year and have won several awards in the 'under 2000 cc' category." Racing apart Vivan also takes interest in film watching and its making. He owns about a thousand DVDs of some of the best films. "I intend to make a film some day," he says.

But, what about his primary occupation, modelling? "I have given it up. I don't find it intellectually stimulating. I am interested in acting on television at the moment. I believe there is a proper time for every thing one does in life  and I think I have passed the stage of modelling," he shares.

So what did he like about his character Shabd and how does the rather queer name signify his character? "It's a classy character. He keeps his conversations short and crisp as he often says, 'Shabd, naam hi kaafi hai (the name is enough)'." 

The young crop of TV actors will go to any length to perform difficult stunts, refusing the service of body doubles. What drives them to do so? Renu Bhatnagar finds out'

 

Manasi Deshmukh (Suhana of Meri Doli Tere Angana on Zee TV) We shot this rain sequence for 12 hours. In this scene I'm shown sitting on a bench when some goons start acting fresh with me. Scared, I start running with rain pouring down. While running, I dash into a car coming from the opposite direction. We took more than 10 retakes and at the end of the day, my body couldn't take it any more. I was drenched to the bone, my body went numb and I blacked out. After that I fell seriously ill but I shot the next day because I had to complete the sequence. Of course, the unit guys helped me to the vanity van and tried to revive me by massaging my feet and hands, and they also gave me hot coffee. "Why did I do it? Initially I thought, 'At most I'll feel a bit cold, so big deal!' I didn't think I'd fall ill. I have never backed out from doing difficult stuff and never thought of a dummy. I'll never say no unless it's beyond my capacity. I would like to stretch myself to the maximum."

Neha Bamb  (Mahi of Maayaka) In Maayaka, to show a house on fire, the director decided to use  plastic, paper, cloth… anything the unit guys could lay their hands on. Recalls Neha, "I was in the middle of the half-burnt stuff, with the fire raging all around me. I inhaled a lot of smoke. We were shooting from 9 am to 6 am, the next morning. I choked and was breathless and the next morning I was down with high fever. I was in this miserable state for four days. When shooting for television, we have no option of resting because we are always chasing deadlines. But I don't say 'no' to anything. Right now I'm at the peak of my career and I'd like to stretch myself."

Karan Grover  (Raj of Meri Aawaz ko Mil Gayi Roshni on STAR Plus) In this fight sequence I am supposed to save the heroine from the goons. The scene was shot on a tarapa (it is 40 feet above the ground, where the light men sit). In this tussle with the goons I ended up with a muscle injury. I was supposed to fight four burly men and at one point they have to pick me up and throw me down. I had some original screaming and yelling. They are supposed to throw me on soft board and exert light pressure on my shoulder. But in my enthusiasm to give a powerful shot I missed the soft board and landed on hard ground. I bruised my arm and then the goons chose my neck instead of my shoulder. I ended up with a muscle pull. "I do these stunts because I don't want to miss an opportunity to display my skills. And if I don't do them now, when I am young and strong, when will I do them?"

Jennifer Winget (Ganga of Sangam on STAR Plus) Ihad to hang from a railing, over a dam. The distance between the railing from which I was hanging and the dam was more than 150 feet. I was expected to do the scene without a harness but they tied a thick rope around my waist. Yes my heart was in my mouth, I was really nervous initially but managed to go through with it. After the scene was shot they started calling me 'stuntwoman'. We started the shot around 9 am and finished shooting only at 4 pm. "When you are dedicated and passionate about your work you will push yourself to do the impossible. All professions have their own hazards."

Rati Pandey  (Prarthana Thakral of Har Ghar Kuchh Kehta Hai) So what's a coy bahu material Prarthana aka Rati Pandey doing on a road bursting at the seams with traffic? Rati recently had to put her life at risk for a scene which was being shot on the arterial road of Powai. She had to run through the traffic and she shudders when she thinks of how she did it. "This was shot at 9.30 pm in Powai. The scene required me to run on the road, amidst the traffic. In the scene, I catch my father-in-law kissing his girlfriend in a disco. So I start running away in a shocked state like a zombie and that too in a sari. It was a risky shot, but I decided to go ahead with it. Also this was an important turn-around in my character - initially Prarthana is supposed to be a cry-baby and this is the turning point in her life. I don't like to play a typical bahu and my dream role would be to play cop. Perhaps I'll get to do more stunts then."

Ashima Bhalla (Sudha of Meri Aawaz ko Mil Gayi Roshni on STAR Plus) Though Ashima loves adventure sports and has done bungee jumping, her heart was in her mouth when she had to jump down 40 feet from the tarapa. "Initially I was scared because I was supposed to jump from a seemingly impossible height like 40 feet. As I fall, Karan Grover was supposed to place an 8X10 feet bean bed below. My heart was in my mouth when I jumped, I hoped that Karan would place the bean bed at the right spot! He did.