These days, the television industry belongs to newcomers. All the successful heroes and heroines today – Angad Hasija, Kinshuk, Hina Khan, Karan Mehra are first timers who have hit the bull’s eye with their debut on the small screen. Much to the chagrin of the existing stars, they have snatched away the spotlight. Arhaan Behl(the overdose of As and Ls is not a typo) is the latest to join the bandwagon of first-show wonders. His performance as Krishna in Mann Ki Awaaz – Pratigya has been the talk of tinsel town and he is enjoying every bit of the attention he is getting. He speaks to TellyChakkar about his entry into the glamour world and lots more. Tell us something about your background . I am from Ajmer in Rajasthan and come from a middle class family comprising of my parents and two elder sisters. After completing my schooling there, I went to Noida for higher studies and completed my graduation in commerce. Right from my school and college days, acting was something that excited me. Though I was doing my graduation in commerce, an inclination in making a career in the glamour world was always there. So much so that even my family members knew that acting was my passion and while I was in college I started walking the ramp. That, you can say, was the stepping stone into the entertainment industry. So when did you come to Mumbai? After completing my studies, I decided to take the plunge and come to Mumbai two years back. My initial days were like any other struggler. I lived on a limited budget and started giving auditions for everything! But I was really lucky in getting the role in Pratigya . It was my first audition for a television show and I got selected in my first chance! It’s a negative role. Were you apprehensive before taking up this role? Initially, I was not too keen on a television show. But during the audition when the creative team narrated Krishna’s role to me, I was excited and felt that it would be a very challenging one. Though it is not a hero’s role, I could make out that this is something the audience will remember for a long time. So I took up the challenge and I do not regret it at all! Tell us something about your character. We know Krishna as a bad guy… Let me get the facts right. Krishna is not a bad guy at all. He is not a goon though the way he treats other people is not very nice. But his aggressive behaviour is because of his family and upbringing. Deep inside, Krishna is a very good human being. Also, since he carries a gun, no one questions him and he feels like a King. He has loads of attitude and in one word is unpredictable! You got married in the show. What next? Well as you know this is a forced marriage and obviously Pratigya is not happy with the wedding. Right now it’s impossible for me to tell you about the future track. All I can say is there will be lot of twists and turns. You are a Punjabi brought up in Rajasthan. How difficult was it to step into Krishna’s shoes? The language he speaks, the way he behaves is very different from a Punjabi. You are right. Being a Punjabi boy, I hardly speak Krishna’s language in real life. But I had done my homework well before working for this show. I saw films like Omkara and Haasil and tried to catch the language in the films. Plus, the 10-day schedule we had in Allahabad also proved to be of help. I observed the localities there and tried to take as many inputs as possible. The writer of this show Shanti Bhusan ji also helped me a lot to understand the nuances of Krishna’s character. How is Arhaan different from Krishna? They are poles apart! My look of Krishna is totally different from the real Arhaan. I have grown my hair for this character and the mannerisms of Krishna are very different from Arhaan. However, the one very significant similarity is in their being fearless and loyal. And though Arhaan is a bit stubborn, it is not as much as Krishna. Despite playing a negative role, you have a huge fan following… I think the character of Krishna is responsible for this. Sometime people are bored of ‘goody goody’ characters. Plus, Krishna is very honest and loyal and may be people think that one day he will change. I am very happy that viewers are happy with my performance in the show. Anything lined up for the future? I am getting a few offers from other production houses but right now Pratigya is my first priority and I want to give my 100% to this show.