From yesteryears' actors like Asha Parekh, Jeetendra and Aruna Irani to a flop actress like Deepti Bhatnagar and later the more currently successful Bollywood janta like Ajay Devgan, and Paresh Rawal; the rapidly growing television industry has pulled many towards it's green pastures.

It started with ex superstar Jeetendra, whose daughter Ekta, after realizing the scope in television started her journey as a producer with Hum Paach on Zee TV which was a big hit. After that there was no looking back for her. Today she has become the undisputed queen of television soaps. Soon after, others like Asha Parekh and Aruna Irani followed suit.

So, is it fame or smething else that pulls these Bollywood actors towards TV? "TV is very big medium today. And one cannot ignore its importance as it has got almost equal number of viewers today," says Aruna Irani whose production company has produced soaps like Des me Nikla hoga chand.

Sometimes TV also provides refuge to the flop actors of Bollywood. Former Miss India Deepti Bhatnagar, who after years of struggle failed to make a mark in films, turned towards television and started producing travel shows like Musafir Hoon Yaaron, Yatra followed by fiction shows like Kabhie Aye Na Judai.

Bigger Bollywood names like Ajay Devgan, Suneil Shetty and Paresh Rawal have also ventured into TV. "My partner advised me to get into it and I liked the idea. As TV requires less time and effort than film production and I don't have enough time to make films, so I thought of giving it a try," says Paresh Rawal.

The popular comedian has also earlier produced Shubh Mangal Savdhan for Sahara One and is ready with his much talked daily soap on Zee, Teen Bahuraniyaan.

"I just wanted to give the viewers a good and healthy entertainment. There will be many more projects coming up," says Rawal who has his wife Swaroop Sampat as a co –producer.

Suneil Shetty is also creatively involved in the upcoming Sahara Show, The Biggest Loser. "Rahul Agarwal, the producer is a great friend of mine and together we came up with the idea. The Biggest Loser is a formatted show which has been sucessful internationally. For me, it's about trying out another medium, after all,TV is a big one," says Suneil.

Looks like it's the big moolah involved that pulls them in. "Nobody is going to do something if there is no profit," asserts Irani. However, film trade analyst Taran Adarsh thinks differently.

"TV cannot help them earn as much money as films, but probably it's just to add another feather in their cap. But if you ask me why would a successful actor like Paresh Rawal should take up the hassle of producing a daily show, I would say every actor is an entrepreneur today. So they just want to explore this new horizon. It's altogether a new territory for them," he says.

The reach of the medium is undoubtedly huge. With bigger players like Yash Chopra, Subhash Ghai and even megastar Amitabh Bachchan, thinking about venturing into TV, looks like the race is going to be even tougher.

"There will be tough competition and everyone will be benefited. As you can see, even today a daily soap gives bread and butter to more than hundred families.

And after these big players enter the industry the content will also get richer and the audience will also have good shows at their behest," opines Aruna Irani.

Even Taran Adarsh feels the same. "Lot of changes will be there in television which cannot be predicted easily. But one thing is for sure, TV will become parallel with films but yes it cannot overtake the former."

Well, so now who could overlook such a huge medium? - (SAMPURN)