Tarun Khanna: Playing Mahadev Over 440 Times Has Changed Me

MUMBAI- Tarun Khanna said portraying Lord Shiva more than 440 times on stage has transformed him personally, increasing his patience and bringing back a sense of kindness.

Khanna has played Mahadev in television shows including ‘Karm Phal Data Shani,’ ‘RadhaKrishn, Jai Kanhaiya Lal Ki,’ ‘Devi Adi Parashakti,’ ‘Katha Vishwas Ke Itihaas Ki,’ ‘Santoshi Maa,’ ‘Param Avatar Shri Krishna,’ the Telugu film ‘Akhanda 2,’ and more recently in the stage production ‘Hamare Ram.’

“My patience levels have gone up and my kindness, which was dormant, has come back to me. The experience is getting better with every new opportunity. I am grateful and thankful that being an actor I can touch so many hearts,” Khanna said.

He said the cast performs ‘Hamare Ram’ every weekend, sometimes twice a week.

“Once we start the show there is no time left for preparation. I am the first one to go on stage on the day of the show and I perform my entire Tandav in one go. If we are doing two shows then I do it twice a day and sometimes more than 5-6 times also,” he said.

Speaking about the challenges of portraying the role repeatedly, Khanna said he still feels nervous before every performance.

“As I have mentioned it’s a blessing that God has chosen me to play the role. It’s not easy and I don’t take it for granted. Every time I perform, I have jitters and I am very nervous. My whole team knows that I am nervous and till the time I am playing this character nervousness will always be there,” he said.

He added that his biggest challenge is to portray the grace and aura of Lord Shiva without error.

“Because one small blemish also during the performance will reflect on the image of the god which I cannot bear. Stage and television are entirely different from each other. They both have their own challenges and advantages also,” he said.

Comparing theatre and television, Khanna said stage performances are more satisfying because they happen live in front of audiences.

“On stage, the biggest advantage is that you just have to do it once and then it’s over but on TV you have to keep on doing it for hours as shifts are for 12 hours and putting on the costume and wig for 12 hours is challenging. Sometimes the scenes are shot for over one day but in theatre it’s just one take in front of more than 2000 people which is the biggest challenge. Obviously performing on stage is more satisfying and I love that more,” he added.

Khanna also said actors should remain mindful of their public conduct because of their influence on audiences.

“I agree that our image is under scanner and one must behave and one should be very mindful of what we are saying which should not set a wrong example. This is not only for me but for all the actors who have some kind of influence on people,” he said. (IANS)