He is one of the most versatile actors we have today. Ashutosh Rana's immense acting calibre was noticed in his debut television show Swabhiman almost a decade back and since then it has been a long journey for this actor who graduated to films but has been in constant touch with television for the pure love for the art. Happily married to talented actor Renuka Shahane, Ashutosh is a content man today and is juggling television and films with ease.
Kavita Shyam chats up with loquacious and down to earth Ashutosh.

New television show Atharva-
Atharva is based on the Vedas, we have four Vedas and the show is basically on Atharva Veda according to Hindu mythology. It's about our civilization and inventions in the past and how we connect it to our present which is just a reproduction and not invention.
It's a very interesting show and a lot of research has been done on it besides its treatment is unusual too. Ours is a jet age no doubt but the mythological show will have equal relevance today as well. The show will be well researched, technically, graphically and content wise superb besides it's a mega budget too. We have shot in Mumbai and might shoot in south and we begin shooting in June and it will be on air in October. Atharva is sure to be a revolution of sorts for television.

My character in Atharva-
I play Kalki avtar (Devraj) as Kalyug's avtar in the present and professor Agnihotra (of Banaras University) in the past life who has been alive for 10,000 years and is a worshipper of motherland and will destroy anyone who plans to destroy the prithvi. While Jackie Shroff plays Nerurati (king of Demon) and Dattacharya in present time and wants to destroy the world. It's a battle between Jackie and me in the show. I am reading Atharva Ved which is my homework.

Deewar on Star News-
I anchored Deewar which was a year end program for Star news. I am a dutiful citizen of the country even before I am an actor so the show was my way of helping the country and giving them an analysis of the mistakes done by the people and the happenings of the year and the future.

Television for me-
I began my career with television and debuted with Swabhiman which got me rave reviews and got me all my important roles. I did shows like Farz, Sazish, Kabhi Kabhi, Waris and anchored Bazi Kiski.
I have never said no to television and I do television to search for a fresh and budding writers and directors who are the future Yash Chopras and Mahesh Bhatts. Also we all were new at some point or the other and television has made us stars. Television is an opportunity to experiment and improve and practice to perfect the art of acting.

Television vs Films-
There isn't much difference in working for television or film or theatre. It's just a medium wherein one has to perform from within and if the performance is not genuine it will fall flat. In theatre it's a one to one live interaction with the audience where there are rehearsals but no retakes while in television one can give retakes and watch the reaction and perform better in the next episode and so is the case with films. So it's best to keep practicing acting through whatever medium possible and

How important is money-

Money is a bi-product of any creation and we are not producing money. Money comes automatically when you get name, fame and appreciation for good work. I am a greedy and ambitious person and want the best of roles and if one looks at my career graph I am probably the only actor who has experimented and played contrasting characters. Acting is salvation for me.

Future projects-
I am doing Atharva and already doing Apradhi Kaun for DD which is produced by BR films and directed by Ravi Chopra. The detective show is an episodic weekly one hour show which has not been publicised much. It's been on air since February and we have already had aired ten episodes of the show. I am playing a positive and central character in Take Two and a negative character in a Telugu film, Mangaram. I would like to work in my wife's direction.