"I did not want to market myself for getting more work"

Where and how did you begin your career in the glamour field?
I am born in Assam and brought up in Ahmedabad.
I completed my graduation and started working when I happened to come across the Gladrags advertisement. I entered the contest and got selected in the top five.I went back to Ahmedabad and thought over what career I should choose. I came back to Mumbai and began modelling.
I did fashion shows, ads, music videos and thereafter better work kept pouring in for four years. Then I decided to act but did not go about marketing myself, I waited for good work to fall into my lap. I did a forgettable film and finally the Rajshri's television show came my way. But somewhere I was completely against doing television.

Tell us about your character in Pyar Ke….?
I play a double role.The show is about re-incarnation and I play Kisan in the past life.He is a sweet guy from the village who goes to the city to study and comes back to work for the benefit for the village. It's about his obstacles in life and the unexpressed yet understood love for his lady love (Barkha Bisht).
In the new birth he is called Shyam who is a rich spoilt brat,he does not like responsibilities and likes to enjoy life. He is in love with Radha who is a conventional girl and hates men.

Why did you take up this role and why not films?
After modelling I had been wanting to act in films. I did a film called Shukriya with Aftab Shivdasani and was cast for Dus with a few more new actors but later the makers wanted seasoned actors in the film so the project got shelved.

"I took up the role because of good money,banner,script, Starplus and primetime"

If Dus would have happened my career in films would have gone ahead.
I had hired an agent who got me interested and pushed me for the Rajshri project which I initially thought was a film but later got to know was a telelvision show. The guys doing films have this mental block of not doing television so I was no different. I auditioned for Rajshri and did exactly the opposite of what I was asked to.For instance they asked me to cut my hair short and shave which I did not. Finally I got to know they liked me and I was the chosen one for the role. I took up this show because of good money (which needed some negotiation for), banner, Star Plus, primetime, good script and working with good people.

How different is modeling from acting?
Frankly, modeling is about looking good only. While in acting the scenes, emotions, dialogue delivery have to be taken care of,if you distort your face you don't look good but one does not worry about all this and simply concentrate on giving a good shot.
However there isn't much of a difference between acting in films and television, just that the production value is differrent in both.

Do you relate yourself to the character and do you believe in re-incarnation?
Not exactly. I would say there is a bit of both the characters in me and hell lot of both not in me. But at the end of the day we are only acting,we tend to get into the skin of the characters we play and start like them.
I don't believe in re-incarnation personally but by the end of the show I will begin believing in it.

"Barkha and I have similar interests"

What kind of a chemistry do you share with your co-star Barkha and the Rajshri's?
Barkha is a very sweet girl and she's very friendly. She is a good actress and a nice person to work with. We have similar interests in movies, music and thought processes besides we both are untrained singers who love to sing.
With the Rajshri's I share a good professional chemistry and they are nice people to work with.

Does the Bong connection help considering your director in the show is a Bengali too?
Yes, when we have to talk about confidential stuff the Bong connection definitely helps.

What are your future plans?
I am enjoying my work for now. Lets see where the show takes me,if silver screen beckons I will move on. Also I think television will offer me good roles after Pyaar Ke...Besides this show I am game for working in ad films too.
As far as personal life is concerned the day I get married the world will know about it.