Historical and mythological tales have heroic characters. To don their garb is not an easy feat for any actor. It becomes an even more uphill task if the character has been portrayed earlier onscreen and has received immense adulations, comparisons are mandatory in this case. May actors also fear of getting typecast in such roles which is why there is a dearth of dedicated actors for them.
However we have seen TV actors slipping into the shoes of these mythological characters quite effortlessly time and again, so much so that the commoners tend to forget about their real self. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to state that actors who are dedicated to their craft, become the characters they play and one can hardly distinguish between their real self and their reel self!
There are umpteen actors who have played mighty historical characters and revered mythological characters as well. How can one forget Rajat Tokas’ Chandragupta in Chandra Nandini or a Shaheer Sheikh’s Arjun in Mahabharata? Their bulging biceps and flexed pecs not just make the character even more demanding but they prove to be an eye candy for the audiences as well. Girls swoon at the vascular torsos of these sexy actors and guys want to be ripped, sexy and hot like them.
Let us have a look at a handful of the actors who played some memorable historical and mythological characters.
Mohit Raina – Raina began his stint with historical and mythological pretty early on. After starring in some not so popular roles, he was cast in Life OK’s Devo Ke Dev Mahadev as Shiva, his role garnerd him an immense popularity. Something that none of his previous work could bestow on him. Thereafter, the beefcake was again cast as Shiva in a cameo for Star Plus’ Mahabharat, helmed by Swastik Productions. His role as Shiva was equally appreciated and people couldn’t get enough of him especially because of his tall dark and handsome stature. His washboard abs, bulging biceps and groovy smiles were add-ons. Moving on, he was cast in the lead for Colors’ Chakravartin Ashoka which was a televised biopic on the great emperor Ashoka.
Rajat Tokas- Tokas is another hunk who is known primarily for portraying larger than life historical characters. There have been a lot of historical characters that he played overtime and continues to play. The reticent actor was seen essaying the character of Prithviraj Chauhan in Star Plus’ Dharti Ka Veer Yodha produced by Sagar pictures, post which he played Emperor Akbar in Zee TV’s Jodha Akbar produced by Balaji Telefilms and he is currently seen playing Chandragupta Maurya in Zee TV’s Chandra Nandni (Balaji Telefilms). His thick arms, rounded shoulders, beefed up chest make the series worth a watch!
Gautam Rode– Rode is a macho in every sense of the word. Benign yet sexy, serious yet alluring and soft yet muscular, we have seen a lot of him over the years. He has played some very pertinent mythological characters. In Sony TV’s Suryaputra Karn, produced by Swastik Productions, the hot bod played the lead character of Karna, He also played the lead role of Rudra in Life OK’s Mahakumbh- Ek Rahasya, Ek Kahani. Gautam’s broad frame and the intensity with which he portrayed his characters made these mythological and historical soap operas extremely popular nationally and internationally as well.
Shaheer Sheikh– This Kashmiri actor has won the hearts of many by portraying many memorable roles on television. Alongwith his good looks, his acting chops too have been appreciated by all and sundry. Sheikh’s boy next door looks coupled with his thick arms, buffed up chest and a piercing gaze make him the favourite of the production houses and viewers alike. The dripping-hot actor played the role of Arjuna in Star Plus’ Mahabharat, produced by Swastik Productions. His role was appreciated by many and girls and boys alike couldn’t get enough of him. Shaheer’s physique looked natural. It wasn’t extremely toned and neither was it shapeless.
