Shaheer Sheikh: I don't want to be the biggest star

Television made him a household name Which is probably why Shaheer Sheikh is not ready to ldquoabandon itrdquo despite the lack of good content on TV He hopes his latest outing Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi 3 will be a step in the right direction As he reprises his muchloved character Dev in the third season the actor discusses the appeal of the storyline and his hopes of fronting a crime thrillerEdited excerpts from the interviewThe first season had 388 episodes while the second was cut short with only 26 episodes Does a showrsquos length bother youIn my career I have never done a show for more than a yearandahalf After that it starts to get monotonous for me as well I want to play varied charactersThe current storyline follows a triedandtested trajectory mdash meeting fights love separation and then a baby Do you feel Indian television is not exploring other storiesI did not know such a storyline had been explored before What worked for Kuch Ranghellip before despite having a common storyline was that it was realistic There were no vamps all the characters were grey including the lead After five years so many people walk up to me and say that they loved the show because they could relate to that life Thatrsquos why I was so excited about season 3Does the current content of Indian television bother you especially shows that garner huge TRPsOf course but it is my responsibility as well to try something new because I am a part of this industry Itrsquos my duty to say yes to projects that are apt for todayrsquos society Just because TV doesnrsquot have the kind of content that I would want to make I will not walk away I will try to make the best of it rather than abandoning itDo you have the creative freedom to comment on a track if it doesnrsquot align with your sensibilitiesThatrsquos the best part about this production house mdash they will always ask us for our opinion Since we have lived the characters they think I know what Dev would do in a particular situation They discuss plans for upcoming episodes with me I donrsquot remember any other production house that has offered me so much creative freedomYoursquove aced the romantic hero and the family guy What do you hope to explore nextI wish to do crime thrillers next I would love to play a cop some day but I am still waiting for the right scriptFrom Kya Mast Hai Life in 2009 to now have you been content with your career graphI have such amazing memories of Kya Mast Hai Life we felt like we were in a college rather than on a set When I was asked to play Arjun in Mahabharat I was taken aback and unsure whether Irsquod be able to pull it off It was a big leap from playing the boynextdoor in NavyaNaye Dhadkan Naye Sawaal Post that people felt that I can do justice to different characters From then on I am learning more with every showWhy do you keep a low profile especially when you know that out of sight is considered out of mind hereThatrsquos what I was told when I left for Indonesia for almost two years to do films My priorities are different mdash I donrsquot want to be the biggest star I want to live a good life and play interesting characters I feel social media is a waste of time I can do better things instead That said Irsquom not questioning those who earn their bread and butter from itAlso Read Shaheer Sheikh Ruchikaa Kapoor soon to become parents share post on Instagram