From a successful creative head for shows like Kitani Mohabbat Hai and Kis Desh Mein Hai Mera Dil, Vikas Goopta has now shifted his focus to acting. TellyChakkar caught up Vikas who makes his debut with Ekta Kapoor’s new show on Star One. Tell us about your early days I was 19 when I joined Balaji. In about four to five years, I learnt a lot from my seniors. Balaji has been my mentor. I was part of the creative teams behind Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kasamh Se. Then I got Kis Desh Mein Hai Mera Dil, which was a fantastic team effort. Then I did Kitani Mohabbat Hai and Bayttab Dil Ki Tamanna. By the time I was 23 I got a little bored with my work. So I decided to take a break and I did theatre, I did a course with this acting school called Creating Characters. I am also writing a script. When this show came up, I agreed because Priya Wal is paired opposite me. I used to watch Priya in Remix since I was a kid; I thought she was a rock star. So why not? How difficult is this shift to acting? It is a difficult process. You don’t realize how much an actor goes through. Pressure, physically and mentally. Karan (Kundra) keeps telling me what and how to wear. Ratan (Rajpoot) tells me how to behave. Did you always have the acting keeda in you? There is a difference between an acting keeda and a star keeda. A lot of people want to become stars and a lot of people want to act. I have been acting throughout; I have been doing plays and workshops. I didn’t want to become a star. After being a Creative Head, didn’t you want to experiment with production or you had decided on acting? Production on TV? Not really. But I am currently writing a script for a movie and that is what I will keep doing. I wish to direct films in sometime but I am 23 and don’t wish to jump into films right away. Since I had done TV at 19 and got bored in a couple of years. So I decided to take life easy and that’s when Ekta offered me this. A lot of TV stars today want to make a debut in Bollywood after trying their hand at TV… I have done movies before I entered into acting on TV. I have also done theatre. The medium doesn’t matter to me as long as I get interesting characters to play. When it becomes only about the money I will quit it. I get more money as a creative head than as an actor so I am not doing this for money. It’s more about doing something interesting. The story is loosely based on Twilight; do you think Indian audiences are ready for an Indian show with Indian characters when you have something so popular like Twilight and Vampire Diaries? It’s not loosely based on Twilight. It is dark love story. There are several shows based on vampires and which is why people are co relating it to Twilight. It’s an interesting concept Balaji has come up with. When you see the show you will realize it is just a part about a vampire. It’s just the guy happens to be a vampire. It is not going to be a saas-bahu. It is a young show with good actors. There is a lot of hype around the show. Do you feel the pressure? The most irritating factor of being an actor is the pressure around you. The pressure to look good, go to the gym, I am on a sugarless-salt less diet for some time. Because I have made this shift a lot of people will not expect me to do well but they do not know the different side of me but hopefully with the support from the creative team I hope I am able to pull this one off. What do you miss the most about being the creative head? There is so much more to do, you look after every single department whereas an actor gets the finished product; he or she just have to perform and leave it on the creative. Being a creative is like looking after the whole show, being an actor is just a part of it. Both have their charms and negative points. Some actors love giving creative inputs for their character. Given your stint as a creative head will you too? Honestly, when actors give their inputs some are nice, some not so nice but most of the times the creative team, the writers they know their job. I guess an actor should clarify things if there are any doubts but I don’t think you should be getting into it. I don’t think I will put myself into the writer’s job. My job is to perform. Tell us about your character Siddharth... He is in the early 20s, studies in Dehradun. He is honest that governs every action of his and every relationship he shares with his friends or the girl he loves. That’s what is different about Siddharth. How similar are Vikas and Siddharth? They are poles apart (laughs) Vikas lives in a different world altogether and he is a dreamer. Siddharth lives in present and he believes in many things Vikas does not believe in. They are way different from each other. The recent buzz was that you are seeing Ratan Rajpoot? Is that true? Ratan and I are very close and so are other friends like Karan Kundra and Kritika Kamra. But yes, Ratan and I share a special rapport. We are good friends.