The hot looking Shaheer Sheikh who has just returned to the small screen to play Arjun in Star Plus’ Mahabharat (Swastik Productions) says that he is very excited to play such a powerful character as the most acclaimed archer in the Pandava clan.
“I had been preparing for this role for six months as it is very important to be in perfect tune with people having lots of perceptions regarding Arjun,” admits the actor.
When asked as to what he feels about Arjun, he avers, “Arjun’s biggest strength is also his biggest weakness. Since he is a very emotional person, he was not ready to turn his arrows on the Kauravas or Bhishma Pitamaha in the battle field of Kurukshetra. Arjun had seen Bhishma from childhood and was really attached to him and until Krishna gave him the Geeta gyaan, he did not dare to attack him.”
When asked about the decision of Guru Dronacharya to cut Ekyalvya’s thumb, he felt that what Arjun’s guru (teacher) did was right, for in Eklayva he saw a threat to the Hastinapur empire.
Shaheer also did not feel wrong that though Arjun had won Draupadi, his mother Kunti asked him to share her with his brothers. “That era was something completely different. Moreover she was the sole link who kept the five brothers together. And by this she also got a unique position among her children.”
“While today we may find such things strange, but they did happen due to some logical reasons. For example in Islam, centuries ago, men were allowed to keep five wives. This was because soldiers would die on the battle field and hence somebody was needed to take care of their widows and children,” Shaheer maintains.
Shaheer who’s first taste to success was the popular TV show Navya took a long break after this Star Plus show ended. He does not seem worried with the old adage ‘out of sight is out of mind’.
“I deliberately took a break for I wanted to give my audiences enough time so that they can forget the character I played earlier and accept me in my new avatar,” the actor informs.
Here he adds that that once Mahabharat winds up, he will again take a sabbatical of a few months before taking up the next project.
Finally Shaheer says that he tries to follow the Geeta gyaan that one should keep on doing their best without thinking about the end result religiously. “But sadly, today most people don’t,” he sighs.