Your new show Seeta Aur Geeta will be a remake of the original Hema Malini starrer. What is your role in this show?
I’ll be playing the role essayed by Sanjeev Kumar in the original movie. It’s a very exciting role and while it’s quite faithful to the original, it has been adapted to suit changing times, of course. Since it’s a TV show, it obviously has to be quite long, so a few necessary changes have been made.

What attracted you to this role?
The fact that they’re remaking a movie like Seeta aur Geeta was in itself an attraction. Apart from that, Sanjeev Kumar was a fantastic actor — who wouldn’t want to play one of his roles?

The name of the show itself suggests that the female leads are going to be more important. Do you think the Indian TV industry sidelines male characters?
I wouldn’t say that. Yes, most of the shows revolve around women and it’s their stories that most shows narrate. But I wouldn’t say that female characters get more importance at the expense of the men. In fact, Kasauti Zindagi Kay was the love story of Anurag and Prerna - my role was very important there.

Speaking of which, do you think you’ll ever shrug off the mantle of ‘Anurag Basu’?
I don’t even want to shrug it off. I worked very hard at that role for seven years. I’m very proud of it and I want people to remember me as Anurag.

Why have you kept a low profile for two years?
I’ve always kept a low profile. That’s who I am. I don’t attend awards functions, I don’t go to parties. I like to have my own space. Also, I didn’t get any interesting offers. Why should I do the same kind of roles over and over?

You’ve acted in two Pakistani serials —Piya Ke Ghar Jaana Hai and Silsilay Chahat Ke. How different is the Pakistani TV industry from its Indian counterpart?
The technology here is obviously very advanced but apart from that, the same standards of professionalism apply. You wouldn’t really know the difference between here and there, actually.