It is a known fact that the first few days can be tough for any newbie in the television industry. Like many others, Himansh Kohli, who plays the main lead Raghav in Channel [V]’s Humse Hai Liife, faced a similar fate. While he got cast for the show – about the trials and tribulations of aspiring boxers - relatively easily, the tough times came later. With very little knowledge of acting or boxing, he was all at sea. As was his fellow lead protagonist, Abigail Jain (Sia). To get around their discomfort, both were put through a rigorous five to six day boxing training schedule prior to the show’s launch. In spite of this, Himansh found it difficult to portray the role of a boxer, which requires immense stamina, power and energy levels. There were takes and retakes, and he kept sending the shooting schedules awry. Enough to prompt anyone to want to give up, right? But Himansh persisted against all odds. And what served him well were DVDs that he watched of the series of films by Sylvester Stallone about the boxer Rocky Balboa. Himansh admits he did watch a few of them. “These helped me a lot; more than motivation it worked as a tutor for me,” he reveals. He also seems to have worked on his acting, and has appeared to have improved his on-screen chemistry with Abigail. Earlier it seemed as if the two actors found it difficult to bond in intimate scenes, but now they have managed to break the ice and currently seem to sizzle together. As far as the success of the show is concerned, Himansh is very happy with the kind of feedback he has been receiving. “Just keep loving our work, it gives us the motivation to work harder,” Himansh tells his fans, in parting. Hey Himansh, be careful, you don’t overwork yourself! What say!