TV pays well, treats well, says Rajeev Verma

Jaipur: He has worked in both films and television, but veteran actor Rajeev Verma is enjoying his stint on the small screen more as he feels that one is not only treated well in television but also paid well compared to films.

"I am doing very few films now-a-days as I am busy with television shows. I am enjoying my stint in television as we are paid well, treated well and looked after very well compared to films," Verma told reporters. "If you are working for 25 days in a month and paid accordingly then it`s quite good for actors. The kind of facilities that we get as an actor in television we don`t get in films. This is a reason why we can see so many big stars coming to the small screen," he added. Verma is remembered for his role as Salman Khan`s father in 1989 film "Maine Pyaar Kiya". He was later seen in films like "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and "Hum Saath Saath Hain", among others. Not many know that Verma is also related to the Bachchan family. He is married to theatre actress Rita Bhaduri, who is the sister of veteran actress Jaya Bachchan. Verma`s first stint with television was with the 1987 show "Chunauti" on Doordarshan. Last seen in "Chhoti Bahu", Verma will now be seen in Zee TV`s new show "Mrs Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein". The actor feels that the working pattern in television has witnessed a dramatic change and that it has become technologically advanced. "Television has changed a lot over the years. The working pattern has changed immensely. Shooting techniques have changed because they are now using technologically advanced equipment," he said. "All the equipment that were previously used in films are now being used in television because television is paying more than films," he added. Verma also feels that TV actors get more exposure than film actors. "Television has so much viewership as a result you get so much exposure. There is so much work, your characters are identified by the viewers. If you go out somewhere you will see people would first recognise television actors than they would recognise film actors," he said. He admits there is a lot of hard work involved. "Shooting for a television show is hard as we usually shoot for 12 hours. It used to be just three scenes in a day while working for films. In television, sometimes we finish shooting for an episode on the day it is due for telecast," he said. However, Verma says theatre always remains his first love. He runs a group in Bhopal named Bhopal Theaters along with his wife. "Theatre is my first love. I had some time off in between films and TV and I saw lot of plays. They are ready with me, the day I get free from the show. I will start working on those plays," he said. IANS