After playing Duryodhan, I’m excited to play Raavan on TV: Puneet Issar

At 32, Puneet Issar became popular as Duryodhan in BR Chopra’s Mahabharat, and now at 65, he’s all set to play Raavan in the TV show Shiv Shakti Tyag Tandav. The actor says, “When I played Duryodhan at that time, my age, height, physical structure.

.. everything matched very well. It was like I was born to play the role. People still recognise me as Duryodhan.”Now he’s excited to play Raavan on TV. “I have essayed this character in plays such as Ishwar and Raavan Ki Ramayan earlier, and now I’m happy to do that in a TV show.” He adds, “I feel at 67, this is the right time for me to play Raavan. He was a man in his mid-60s when he faced Lord Ram. The grace, poise and wisdom — they come naturally to me now.”Beyond mythology, Issar has also been part of many films, from Coolie to Jayeshbhai Jordaar, “I’ve played the villain opposite three generations of heroes,” he says, happy to be balancing different medium, including theatre. “I’m passionate about plays, I call theatre my creative backbone. It keeps you alive and sharp,” he adds.BOX:‘Today’s villains lack the fierce aura’Issar believes that Bollywood villains no longer exude the same menace and authority they once did. He says, “Earlier, we had daunting and fierce villains — whether it was Amjad Khan as Gabbar Singh, Amrish ji as Mogambo, or Kulbhushan Kharbanda as Shakaal. Somehow, such powerful, one-dimensional roles are not being written anymore. I don’t know who’s to be blamed for that.” He adds, “The villain has to look more towering than the hero. Only then does the hero’s victory look strong. But I don’t see that too often now.”