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If a man riding a 1956 Ariel Colt 200 motorbike on the streets of Mumbai looks familiar to you, then you might just have spotted Samir Dharmadhikari. The actor has acted in Satta, Raincoat and Agnipankh.
While Salman Khan and John Abraham's passion for bikes is well-known, little do we know about the effort with which Samir maintains his ageing beauty.
"This bike belonged to my wife's grandfather. After marriage, I managed to coax and cajole my in-laws to pass it on to me. This is the only dowry that I managed to get!" he says jokingly.
Not only does Samir ensure that the bike is spic and span, but he also uses it for joyrides. "It is a fantastic feeling riding this bike," says a dreamy-eyed Samir.
The actor, originally from Pune, started his career as a model. Innumerable print and television ads later, he shifted to Bollywood where he managed to bag significant roles in big films. Now the man is back in news with his latest success story -- Main Teri Parchhaiyan Hoon -- a serial on NDTV Imagine. In just a few months, the serial seems to have managed good TRP ratings.
"This is my first Hindi serial. Earlier I have acted in a couple of Marathi shows on television," explains the actor who thought of moving to television because of "the lack of good films in the industry".
However, he clarifies that he is still very much in the industry. "Currently I am working on two big-ticket productions -- Ketan Mehta's Rang Rasiya and Nishikant Kamath's Mumbai Meri Jaan." He plays the role of a king in the first while the second will see him working with Soha Ali Khan.
Samir seems to be enjoying his work in television. "This is not a saas bahu serial! Though it may sound strange, no one in my family watch these soaps. They are more into regional shows," says the actor when asked about the reasons behind the success of Main Teri Parchhaiyan Hoon. Taking a dig at the saas bahu soaps he says, "Neither is my wife the kind you see on these serials, nor is my mother-in-law similar to the snake-shaped-bindi-wearing saas you encounter in these serials! And, thankfully my mother and wife do not conspire against each other."
So what about Main Teri he likes the most? "The storyline is different. It is about a father who has to bring up three children after their mother passes away suddenly. And then, a teacher steps in to their house and helps bring up the children. I have a five-year old daughter myself and know how difficult it is to bring up children. All these put together, I am quite enjoying the serial," says Samir who feels bringing up girls is much easier than boys. "A girl is much more understanding, but boys are brats and bullies!" says the doting father.
Samir's wife is also working in the television industry as a cinematographer. "Aparna has worked a lot with Balaji Telefilms and is an experienced and well-known cinematographer. She is currently doing a lot of work with Pogo (children's television channel). Both of us being from the same industry has definitely helped us understand each other far better. I am a complete family man once I am out of the studio," concludes Samir.