I can do the boldest of scenes but I don’t want to titillate my audiences, says Tarun Khanna who's set to enter Vighnaharta Ganesh

Tarun Khanna has been the most popular Mahadev on Indian television, having played the role eight times in his career so far. Now, the actor is eager to explore more in terms of acting and try his luck in other genres too. He talks to us about his popularity in mythological shows, his upcoming role as Goswami Tulsidas and plans to explore different genres on Indian television.Excerpts:
‘I want to explore different genres but won’t take up saas-bahu sagas’
While he is known for playing divine characters on screen, Tarun has no reservations about doing bold scenes. He says, “I am open to doing anything in terms of acting and don’t want to bind myself by any parameters. Whatever role comes to me, I know how to pull it off well and create an impression on my audiences. I have always made my audience believe in me. Playing God does not mean that I can’t do any particular role or scene. I am ready to go bold if required in a web series too. However, I don’t want to do anything to titillate my audience. But whatever I do, I will do it with 100 per cent conviction.”

Known for playing Lord Shiva over and over again, Tarun has excelled in other mytho roles too, including Lord Hanuman, Lord Ram and even Ravan. Will he try his luck in non-mytho shows too? “Why not? Being an actor, I want to explore every genre on television, be it adventure shows like Khatron Ke Khiladi or dance reality shows like Nach Baliye. I am open to doing romantic roles too but for saas-bahu sagas, my answer will be a big ‘no’. I have nothing against the genre, but I don’t want to go for it. For me, the length of a role does not matter but it needs to mean something in the scheme of things,” he shares.

‘I feel lucky that I am approached for mythological shows’
He will soon be entering the show Vighnaharta Ganesh, where Tarun will essay the role of saint and poet Goswami Tulsidas. “I don’t know much about the character and it will be a challenge for me too. I am reading about him a lot so that I can play it well. Though I haven’t got my dialogues, I am writing my own dialogues for the time being and trying to get into the skin of the character,” he tells us. Will it be challenging for him? “Whenever I take up a new role, it feels like going for my examination. In order to excel in that exam, I prepare well in advance so that I give my best and appear perfect,” he says. Tarun was never worried about getting typecast in mytho shows. “I feel lucky that I am approached for these roles. I suit these roles and it’s a vindication of my hard work. I am blessed by Goddess Saraswati that these roles fall in my kitty,” he signs off.