EXCLUSIVE: Rajesh Tailang on not getting roles in Television post Balaji period: “Hamare jaise logon ke liye roles bacche nahi, chacha, tau roles milte the”

Actor Rajesh Tailang is popularly known for playing Ramakant Pandit in the series Mirzapur. However, the actor has done some phenomenal roles in Haseena Parkar, Aiyaary, Delhi Crime, Bandish Bandits, Trial By Fire and now latest movie, Ulajh. However, before all this, he started his acting career by starring in Doordarshan show, Shanti. Post the success of the show, Rajesh struggled to get his desired roles. Speaking about that period of his career, Rajesh revealed that he faced struggles when the trend changed and he was unfit for those characters.

Rajesh Tailang on his struggles on doing television

In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Bubble, Rajesh said that things started becoming difficult after doing Shanti. He said, “After that, difficulties began for me because, when you gain recognition on television, there weren’t any photographers around, and people didn’t have mobile phones, so they used to take autographs. People recognise you, but television serials are like ephemeral things. They become obsolete the next day like how people eat chaat and bhel puri with the old newspapers. That’s how television serials were; the day they ended, so did your recognition. That recognition vanished completely.“

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The Bandish Bandits actor further said, “During that period, I decided that since I was already doing a daily soap—India’s first daily soap—and television work was coming my way, I wouldn’t take it and would try films instead because I felt survival was in films. I did five to seven films, but nothing majorly successful happened. Later, when “Shanti” ended, I wasn’t getting work in television either, because the trend had changed. I call it the post-Balaji period.“

Rajesh Tailang on not getting desired roles

“The kind of actors they needed were different. They didn’t need actors like us much anymore. I’m not saying that the actors who worked were not good, but there were not many roles left for people like us. They needed uncle-type roles, and I was in an age where I couldn’t play a very young character or a very old one. There was no slot for me. What remained were characters like inspectors, lawyers, doctors—one-day or two-day roles, which were of no use. That was when I saw a different form of struggle,” the Mirzapur actor concluded.

Watch the full interview here

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