'Baghban was one of my biggest mistakes'

'Reality shows work for a short while. I have much more to achieve, so that I can show that people love me for my work, not for my stints in reality shows.'

Aman Verma returns to the small screen.

Aman Verma, who is probably best remembered for movie role in 2003's Baghban, says it was the biggest mistake of his acting career.

"Baghban was one of the biggest mistakes I made in my career because I played the role of a man who had a grown-up daughter," he explains.

"I was 31 years old then and was playing dad to Rimi Sen. It made people think that I was in my 40s. I agree that back then, I was on the heavier side, so I looked older. Today, at the age of 44, I look younger and people say that it's a reverse cycle that is working on me," he adds.

The reason he could not say no to Baghban, he says, is because he was very close to director Ravi Chopra and had done a lot of work with him.

"Also, it was a film with Amitabh Bachchan," he reasons. "I told Ravi to make me the younger son but he was clear that he wanted me as the eldest son. And he was sure that I would do justice to it."

Since he was perceived to be much older than he was, he was mostly offered roles of fathers in films after Baghban.

Aman was last seen on screen in the ninth season of the celebrity reality show Bigg Boss. 

He is currently shooting in Hyderabad for Zee TV's serial Ek Maa Jo Laakhon Ke Liye Bani Amma, in which he plays a South Indian don.

Talking about the same, he says, "It’s been a challenge to not bring a cliched interpretation of a South Indian man speaking Hindi. I practised that day in and day out and even talked to my friends using that kind of lingo," he says.

"Actor Mehmoodsahab did a fantastic job when it came to playing a South Indian but his roles were more of a caricature. They always had a comic angle. I am trying to get away from that mould and make it look realistic. The character that I am playing in the show is something that nobody in the TV industry has essayed so far," he adds.

Aman was known for his temper in Bigg Boss, but says he has mellowed down. "I wish I had this calm mind when I came to Mumbai 18 years ago. It would have worked wonders for me. But I was volatile at that time. Had I been always like this, I would have been in a different space altogether," he grins.

Does he want to attempt another reality show after Bigg Boss?

"There is a lot more to me than getting on a reality show," he replies. "It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose. How you behave while doing a task matters, as it shows the background, the culture and the family you come from.

"Reality shows work for a short while. I have much more to achieve, so that I can show that people love me for my work, not for my stints in reality shows," he concludes.