Hitesh Bharadwaj Says TV Content Is Not Regressive: 'We Are Getting Better'
Hitesh Bharadwaj's Aami Dakini premiered on June 23. Set against the beauty of Kolkata, the story unfolds a journey of love, loss, and revenge.
Hitesh Bharadwaj has been a part of the television industry for years now. After ruling everyone's hearts with shows like Udaariyaan and Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin, the actor is now back with his new show titled Aami Dakini. Set against the beauty of Kolkata, the story unfolds a journey of love, loss, and revenge. At the heart of it all is Dakini – a female spirit who stuns with her beauty, frightens with her silence, and kills without mercy.
In an exclusive conversation with News18 Showsha, Hitesh opened up about his latest show and shared, 'I'm playing Ayaan Roy Chaudhry. He belongs to Kolkata but goes to London for higher education. His mother died in the city and therefore he was sent abroad. When he comes back, he wants to do everything in the same way his mother used to do. He reaches this mansion and figures out that there is some presence here, or as people call it, there is a Dakini."
'My favourite director is Satyajit Ray. I have watched a lot of his films. I have always listened to Tagore's stories or Rabindra Sangeet. All these things have been a part of my life for a long time. But I never got a chance to work in that language because I don't know that language. But, I am very connected to that culture, their cinema, their roots. So I am very happy to be a part of this show because somewhere they connected me with that route," the actor added.
However, the actor also admitted that when he was approached for the show, he was sceptical about it. 'Somewhere in our minds, there is an assumption about supernatural shows. We have seen so many supernatural shows on Indian television, they are very different. It has also not been my genre. I really like romance or comedy. When I heard this story, I felt that apart from horror, it is also a thriller. There is amazing storytelling in this. I am sure the audience will like it when they watch this show," he told us.
In this regard, Hitesh was asked if he also agrees with those arguing that television content is becoming regressive. The actor disagreed and clarified that 'we are getting better". 'It is not like this. We are changing slowly. Changing a medium is not a one-day process. It takes time. Our cinema has evolved. In the 90s, Dil Chahta Hai was released and it changed the entire cinema. Then in 2013, Gangs of Wasseypur came, it changed it all and introduced realism in our cinema. Even on television, from Fauji to Shanti and Kyuki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, it has changed a lot. I cannot call it regressive, but I think we are changing gradually," he shared.
'We are getting better. We can see the ratings now. If we want people to watch TV, we will have to work on its content," the actor concluded.
First Published:
June 24, 2025, 15:07 IST
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