After shining on the small
screen for more than a decade, Gautam Rode is stepping on to the big screen
with Aksar 2, a thriller which promises a high dose of erotica. The trailer saw
a shirtless Gautam Rode seducing Zarine Khan and naturally set a lot of tongues
wagging. SpotboyE.com spoke to the TV heartthrob about his racy Bollywood
debut, sex scenes, his decision to settle down and a lot more. Excerpts:
Most TV stars
transition to movies as soon as they gain fame. You took a lot of time to move
to Bollywood?
Basically I was busy with television for
the past six years. I was working non-stop. I was acting in shows like
Saraswatichandra, Mahakumbh, Suryaputra Karan and I was hosting Nach Baliye and
India's Got Talent. It was not that I wasn’t getting film offers. While I was
winding up Suryaputra Karan, I got a call from director Anant Mahadevan, asking
me to come by for a script narration. I went, met them, they narrated the
script, we discussed the character and they gave me a bound script. I really
loved the character. I have never played such a character before. If you give
me television again I'll do it. If you give me a film I'll do it. For me it's
about playing different characters.
Tell us a bit
about your character in Aksar 2?
It's a suspense thriller and I'm
playing an investment banker. The character I am playing, Patrick Sharma, he is
positive, yet he is a fraud. He has shades of grey but he's vulnerable too.
You play
righteous heroes on small screen so this will be a departure from that...
In television and
films, either the characters are very positive, like in Saraswatichandra, or
they are negative and evil. Very few characters are real. In Aksar 2, I got the
opportunity to play a real character. If you are in danger, you will do whatever
it takes to survive, without thinking about right or wrong. I'm an actor and I
need to improve myself as an actor. I can't keep doing good boy roles all the
time.
There are rumours
that Emraan Hashmi has a cameo in this film?
No. He is
not a part of the film.
You had
previously said that Aksar 2 is not an erotic film but the trailer and songs
say otherwise...
Let me clarify.
I'll start with my song which is very important to the film. It is hot and
sensuous but we have drawn a line. If you've seen the song, there's no kissing.
It was a deliberate decision made by me, Zareen (Khan) and the director.
Coming back to
the other couple, Abhinav and Zareen, they have kissed on-screen but they play
lovers. I don't think there's anything wrong with that and it's shot
aesthetically. A few sensuous shots were added to the first promo, so that it
gets an erotic vibe but there's nothing erotic about the film. It's a complete
suspense thriller.
How did your
friends and family react to the bold scenes in Aksar 2?
I'm being
brutally honest with you- 80% of them liked it. I've got admirers across the
world as television gives you that reach. However, my fans from the Middle-East
weren't too happy. They were happy with my characters Saras and Rudra- the good
boy characters. I wrote to them on Twitter. I said: “Thank you for all the
wishes of my friends and supporters and thank you the other set of friends who
didn't like it that much, but every suggestion is welcome.” That's their point
of view and I respect that completely. 
What's the difference between television and movies?
Television is
maddening. Once you've done television, you can do anything. You can go do
theatre, you can do films - you can do whatever you want to.
Now that you are 40, does your mom want to see you
married?
It's not
that I don't want to get married. It'll come soon. Things will happen when they
has to.
Do you have a
romantic relation with Pankhuri Awasthi?
I don't
want to name anyone right now but I'm seeing someone for sure. I'm not single.
So, will you
settle down anytime soon?
I should.
I'm 40! It will be very late otherwise
Image Source: Twitter/gautam_rode