With his striking screen presence and a career spanning nearly two decades, powerhouse performer Amith Dolaawat is back to command the screen. Currently seen portraying the complex, negative character Mukul Ahlawat in Colors TV’s legal drama Juhi Mui (produced by Goldie Behl’s Rose Audio Visual), Amit has once again proven why he is regarded as one of the most reliable and versatile actors in the television industry today.
In an exclusive tell-all with IWMBuzz.com, the actor opens up about how he humanises antagonistic roles, his psychological prep for daily soaps, and his philosophy on staying fluid in a rapidly changing entertainment landscape.
Playing a negative character on Indian television is a tightrope walk—you have to keep the audience hooked without completely repelling them. “Playing any kind of character requires an amalgamation of many things—firstly, the skill, the homework, and the collaborative process of being open to suggestions from the director, the creatives, and writers who have lived with the character for much longer before an actor comes on board,” Amith shares.
To me, acting is a skill combined with technology.
He adds that staying flexible on set is crucial to finding the sweet spot. “What helps me is being prepared at my end, and at the same time, being open to suggestions and flexible to collaborate towards the best outcome. With all this, any character I portray becomes an easy process. In one line, it’s the heart that is important, and I perform with my heart so it always touches the audience.”
Amith relies on his formidable background in theatre and his massive footprint in the industry. “Two things help me: first is my training as a theatre actor for years, and secondly, my last 17–18 years of rich experience of over 45–50 TV shows, over 125 ad films, and Marathi and Hindi web series and films. This training and experience together is a lethal combination to combat any situation on sets, even if you are expected to deliver the most powerful performance in a very limited time.”
He also stresses the importance of professional respect and adaptiveness in the modern era of mobile-first consumption. “I always come prepared to respect the Producer’s money, the Director’s vision, and a better opportunity for a good performance with a co-actor. In today’s times of mobile phone viewing, we are all on the same size of screen—be it a ₹1 Lakh episode or a ₹100 Crore film—so ‘better do your best’ is my mantra always.”
Change is the only constant, so don’t be rigid, don’t get stuck—that is my thought process.
Rather than being rigid about his performance, he views himself as an instrument to be tuned by the creative team behind the camera. “To me, acting is a skill combined with technology. What I do as a performer is the only thing I focus on; the rest of the time, I consider myself an instrument. Sometimes it needs to be loud, sometimes soft, sometimes the bass or treble needs to be more, sometimes the vocals, sometimes only the eyes or face need to talk, and sometimes the whole body. The volume is decided by the director, the frame by the cameraman, and the best outcome comes if I am intelligent enough to incorporate their design.”
Beyond his stellar acting chops, Amith is also widely recognised for his charismatic hosting skills. “Anchoring is something I have a natural flair for,” Amith says. “In the past, I have anchored Shabaash India, the prestigious Diwali Rishton Ki Mithas for Star Plus, and Bhoomi for Siddharth Kak. While I haven’t been seen anchoring on-screen in the last few years, I make it a point to host prestigious live events whenever the opportunity arises to keep that spark alive. I am confident that with the growing scale of content today, new opportunities will surely emerge and you will see me back anchoring on screen very soon again!”
With Juhi Mui, he reunites with a familiar, talented cast and crew. “No work of yours goes unnoticed. It’s a pat on my back that I am doing my second show with Rose Audio & Visuals back-to-back this year. Bhavya Dhavan from the banner and Kshiprra Darhekar from Colors are amazing creative heads whom I have worked with in the past, and they thought I was good for this role and created Mukul Ahlawat for me. Anuradha Khurana has done an amazing job with the look. After Ishq Subhan Allah, I am again acting with Esha Singh, who is such a wonderful performer and is doing a great job as Juhi.”
From delivering award-winning performances in the Marathi film industry (such as portraying Sane Guruji in Maharashtra Shahir) to headlining popular cop dramas like Nave Lakshya, Amith’s transition across languages and genres is seamless. When asked about his secret to staying relevant, Amith credits his relentless creative hunger. “The secret to staying relevant across many formats is my hunger as an actor. We are living in an age of transition. A decade back, one show would make you popular for years; today, attention spans are shorter, and avenues are more. I work across the spectrum of all platforms to reach the maximum audience. Change is the only constant, so don’t be rigid, don’t get stuck—that is my thought process.”
