The Shava Shava winner will cut an album of the late singer’s numbers

Actor-model-singer Sumeet Raghavan (Sarabhai vs Sarabhai), who emerged winner in the show Shaava Shaava judged by Karan Johar and Simi Garewal, now plans to launch an album as a tribute to the legendary singer Mohammed Rafi. “Yes, it’s my mission to record an album with some of my favourite Rafi numbers. Possibly, there could be duets too with the Shaava Shaava female contestants,” enthuses Sumeet who had actually given up hopes that he would ever win.

But what was the rationale behind his pessimistic thinking? “All the other contestants were immensely popular thanks to their respective characters in the daily soaps. But I am known for acting mainly in sitcoms or thrillers. I have never been identified with a specific TV character.” He adds, “But I guess the audiences observed singing potential in me and eventually catapulted me to victory.”

Sumeet is also thrilled about sharing screen space with a actors Naseeruddin Shah and  Ajay Devgan.  “It’s strange that I am playing a doctor in both Ajay Devgan’s U Me Aur Hum and also in In Such Times directed by Nandita Das.”

He says of his role in U, Me aur Hum, “I play Ajay’s buddy in the first half. The film is also about male bonding and we are shown cracking naughty jokes. I am paired opposite Divya Dutta to whom I am unhappily married,” says Sumeet who can’t stop praising Devgan as a director. “It was amazing to observe director Ajay  in command. When one plan would fizzle out, he would have two more back-up plans ready,” he insists.

Sumeet is also shown playing student to ustaad Naseeruddin Shah, in In Such Times, which is set against the backdrop of the Gujarat riots. “Working with Naseersaab, helped me imbibe so much. I realised that I am nothing  compared to him,” signs off Sumeet who is a trained classical singer and as a kid had recorded over 150 jingles.