Channels don't find Antakshari commercially viable now: Annu Kapoor

Though Doordarshan is planning to revive iconic shows from the 80s and 90s and the audience is hoping to see their erstwhile favourites back on TV, veteran actor Annu Kapoor, who helmed the musical game show, Antakshari (1994), isn’t happy with the plan.

“I’ve been trying my best to pitch the show to various channels but in vain. I even approached a lead channel (which used to earlier air the show) but they didn’t find it attractive enough. For them, Antakshari isn’t a commercially viable proposal now. I’m disappointed,” says the 61-year-old, who was last seen in courtroom drama Jolly LLB 2.

Reminiscing the good old days, Kapoor recalls how he received endless compliments back then when his show was widely watched on small screen. Taking a dig at current comedy and reality shows , the actor adds, “Never ever on my show I passed a vulgar or a loose comment. I always realised my responsibility towards the society. (Also) I remember, in 1994, the then Prime Minister of India, Sh. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had told me that ‘Kitna achha manch hai, isko sarthak istemaal karna (You’ve got such a brilliant platform, utilise it for significant purpose). I followed and obeyed him.”

Kapoor, who won the National Award for Best Supporting Actor for the 2012 film Vicky Donor feels that there’s a serious scarcity of original content – both on TV and in films. “I’ve been a firm believer of originality, which unfortunately Indians have somehow lost. Vicky Donor is by far the best and most apt example of being original in every manner. Otherwise 98 per cent people are copycats. It was a cult film just like our TV show, Antakshari, which had a unique concept when it started off. I’m glad that I was associated with some of the best original concepts on television and in films.”

So is he not satisfied with the content being made for television these days? “Well, incidentally, I don’t watch TV or many Hindi films. I don’t even listen to my own radio show. I’m a person who finishes work with sincerity, honesty, commitment and dedication and comes back home to be with my family. (Also) My wife is American, so there’s hardly a chance that she would watch Hindi soaps.”