It is often said that once bitten, twice shy. This is exactly the reason what Vivan Bhatena gives for his absence from the TV scene since the days of Sanskaar Laxmi. “I really had big expectations from the above Zee TV show for it had a great set up, excellent cast and a superb story. Sadly the creatives digressed from the initial plot of a family drama (the up and down of the Purohit family as seen from Laxmi’s point of view) and went down the love story route between Laxmi (Veebha Anand) and Suraj (Rohit Purohit). No wonder the show quickly lost steam (it shut shop within eight months). I was quite unhappy with my character graph as he did not have much to do. I quit the show sometime before it finally bid adieu in September 2011,” says Vivan. Looking ahead, Vivan, who has also acted in Chhoona Hai Aasmaan, Maayka and Kumkum, amongst others, shares, “I have learnt from the above mistake and will now wait for something really juicy on the small screen.” In the meantime, he is getting prepared for his eventual move to the big screen. “I have just finished a film and hope it will release by the year end (2012). I can’t talk anything about it as the production house has asked me to refrain from divulging anything.” Vivan, who has earlier essayed a character like cricketer Yuvraj Singh in Yash Raj’s sports films Chak De, says, “Good times have finally come in cinema where small films are being made. Gone are the days when you needed bankable stars to justify your heavy investments. Today, thanks to the multiplex revolution, we are getting a chance to showcase our talent, which is not bad by the way.” Besides TV and films, Vivan keeps himself busy by anchoring many live events.