There’s a new Devdas in Tellywood and his name is Parth. This man is on a drinking binge trying to cope up with the loss of his on-screen wife Jhanvi (Gungun Uprari) in Bandhan Saat Janamon Kaa.

This is completely an antithesis to Vishal Gandhi’s real life love story. The Mumbai lad had tied the knot last month and is gearing up to celebrate his first Valentine’s Day post marriage. Valentine’s Day carries luck for Vishal, as during the same time last year, he got his big break in television. This year too, things haven’t changed with the dramatic twist in Bandhan.. making him the cynosure of all eyes.

In an exclusive chat with Tellychakkar, Vishal speaks on the twists in his show, how he wasn’t enjoying his character before and more. Read on.

Is Bandhan.. going the Devdas way?

Yes and no. Yes, because like Devdas, Parth too will become an alcoholic. No, because Devdas takes to alcohol as he doesn’t get to be with his lady love. Above all, you need a Paro to constitute a Devdas. In our show, Paro ‘Jhanvi’ is dead. Parth will have a relationship with Chandramukhi ‘Roshni’.

So, will we get to see a mujra on the show?

Well, that’s the irony in our show. Ideally, for such a storyline you need to have a mujra.. At best you’ll get to see a small song.

A female lead dies in a TV show. Is this how Bandhan.. was meant to be?

Honestly speaking, no! Earlier, it was discussed that it will be Parth who will die in the show. Then they’ll have a new guy coming in. However, that was some six months back. With television, you never know what the next track will be. Here we get screenplays two days before the shoot. So, how can one foresee a track?

Personally, do you approve of such a drastic change in track?

It’s always a vague idea to bump off the protagonist but frankly the previous track wasn’t working. Bandhan.. was becoming all about Jhanvi, Jhanvi and only Jhanvi! Even worse, Parth’s family had got obsessed with dahhej (dowry). One was getting the impression that the family had no other work besides heckling Jhanvi for dowry. The show had become really boring.

So, Jhanvi dying has now put Parth into focus?

Well, hasn’t it? Usually, it’s the female who is the protagonist of our soaps. From here on, all eyes will be glued on Parth. Earlier, I found my character to be very dull but he’s now come alive. Besides, this track has seen a rise in the TRPs. I’m told that prior to this, we were hovering around 1.5 mark but our TRPs have now shot up to 2.2

Personally, it has worked wonders for me as I’m receiving offers for other shows. But I’m sticking with Bandhan….

Moving away from the show, tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m born and brought up in Mumbai. Sport is a hobby and I even played volley ball at the university level. I’ve graduated in Poltical Science and History.

As a teenager, I’d worked in a film Ikka Raja Rani, which starred Govinda and Rani Mukherjee. Thereafter, I took to ad modelling. I was looking at a career in medical science and had even got admission in a college in Amravati but being the only son, my parents wanted me to stay here.

Post my graduation, I successfully applied for an airline attendant’s job in Jet Airwyas. Four years later, I quit the job once I got my big break in TV.

How did you bag this role?

Auditions for Bandhan.. were taking place near my house. Earlier in the day, I’d travelled to town for other auditions. I was too tired and wasn’t willing to go but a friend persuaded me to go. After auditioning, they told me that they would reply in two days. I wasn’t too confident and all set to sign another show Grihasti. Three days later; they told me I had been selected to play the lead role. That was something I wasn’t getting in Grihasti so, I took up Bandhan…

Finally, what are your plans for Valentine’s Day?

Well, I wouldn’t get an off but I’ll take a half day and spent the rest of the evening with my wife. I got married last month. She’s a manager with Kingfisher Airlines. She too will take the morning flight so that we can be together for the rest of the evening. This is my first Valentine’s Day after marriage and I’m really looking forward to it.