I can camouflage myself to get into various roles: Shaleen Malhotra

Shaleen Malhotra has worn many hats- he has been a participant on a reality show, been a VJ and also an actor.

In a chat with us, he speaks of his character Arjun on Star Plus’ Arjun, his take on detective fiction, the kind of roles and shows he would accept or reject, the kind of girl he would like to spend the rest of his life with, among many other interesting topics. Read on…

Did you have to prepare to get into the skin of Arjun, the character you play in the show?

(smiles) Let me first tell you that I had successfully cleared the look test. The makers were looking out for an actor who had certain personality traits of Arjun like confidence, open body language and seriousness; I had them all. Usually people are serious when they are angry, tensed or unsatisfied but Arjun is serious every second of his life. I had to work on looking serious all the time.

I also watched detective movies to observe the body language of sleuths and also observed how police officers hold a gun. That came naturally to me though, as both my father and grandfather were in the army.

Do you like reading detective fiction and watching detective movies and serials?

(winks) Yes, of course, I have loved watching TV shows like Castle, Monk, Crime Scene Investigation, Prison Break, Sherlock Holmes, Raja Aur Rancho and Krishna Arjun.

Could you name your favourite fictional detectives?

My favourite detectives are Sherlock Holmes and James Bond. I love the style in which Bond gets to a woman.

You love reading autobiographies too. Could you tell us about the personalities, the autobiographies of who have impressed you the most?

I have loved reading the biographies of Julian Assange (Australian editor, activist, publisher and journalist), Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler and Andre Agassi.

You have travelled all over India on a bike. Which places of India did you
enjoy visiting the most and why?

(pauses) To me India is an incredible country. Every 100 kms you see a different culture. I loved travelling the whole of India, especially the places which are non-commercial and where people are very innocent. The places I loved visiting the most were Leh, Ladakh and Kanyakumari.

Would you like to participate in reality shows like Bigg Boss?

I really don’t know as of now. It depends on the circumstances at that point of time if and when I am offered the show.

Would you like to host Fear Factor?

(blushes) Yes, certainly as I am an adrenaline junkie. I love adventure. Moreover, I have been an anchor for seven years now. If I can’t host the show, I would definitely like to participate in it.

What kind of roles would you never do?

I am open to doing all kinds of roles. However, I don’t think I can enact a character if I can’t relate to it. For instance, playing a gay will be tough for me as I am a straight guy; though I am not against homosexuality. If it is the wish of certain people to be in a relationship with people of the same gender, we should respect their choice. Not in any way it is wrong.

Your dream role is like…..

It is of Pierce Brosnan in Bond movies, of Sanjay Dutt in Musafir and Kaante and Amitabh Bachchan in Agneepath.

If you were not a TV professional, what would you have been?

As I am an MBA, I would have been a manager in a corporate company.

Do you regret having dropped out from Pavitra Rishta for your role in Arjun?

Both the shows are very different, but both are good. No, I don’t regret choosing Arjun as the show has done quite well.

What in the Indian TV industry would you like to change?

TV professionals are very hard working. Come what may, they have to shoot on a daily basis. Nevertheless, there should be more of professionalism.

What do you think is your greatest strength as an actor?

My greatest strength is that I can camouflage myself to get into various roles.

Do you have a girlfriend?

As of now, I am single; I would like to have a girlfriend though.

What qualities should your girlfriend have?

I am not too particular about her looks. She should be able to carry herself with élan though. She should be a loving, caring and an affectionate person. I really don’t care if she is from the TV industry or not. She should be intelligent and well read. In fact, I don’t care if my girlfriend is from Mars.