MUMBAI: Actor Nishant Malkani does not fear being stereotyped in the industry. The actor says that he has successfully moved away from his image of a boy next door with his current show Guddan Tumse Naa Ho Payega as he plays a father in the show.

'A lot of times, people think that if they play a father, they will get typecast and people won't look at them as a college boy or would not approach them for younger roles but I believe that good acting can destroy any type of typecast. The best example is that I have always played a young lover boy or chocolate boy and that was the typecast for me. Everybody would look at me as a Romeo or a sweet innocent man who falls in love with a woman, But I broke that typecast and played an elder character. If being 30, I can break that typecast with my acting skills, then anyone can. If people know that this boy is a performer and they call me for an audition or look test, my acting is what will prove that there is no such thing as typecast,' he says.

Nishant was lean when he started his journey, but has changed his physique now. Talking about this, he says, 'The only reason behind that was that with age, people change and people say I look much better and manly and I always felt that this look is the best. I work very hard every day. I go to the gym after the shoot, and I make sure I always look good on a television screen or any screen for that matter. I am doing this so that my character and personality look good.'

Ask him if he feels that good looks are mandatory for an actor, and he says, 'It’s a very relative question. Every role demands a certain look. Sometimes, good looks can be a hurdle. I don't think you need to have good looks to be an actor though you need to have good looks for certain characters. I personally believe that acting beats all. If you are a great actor, your career is safe,' he says.

The actor says that the industry has changed a great deal now. 'The pressure and shoot style are the same but people want a more natural flow and form of acting when it comes to shows on TV. One major change is that social media was just budding years back when I started my career, but now if you are an actor, you have to be on social media. You have to talk to fans and interact. Earlier, fans could not talk to actors they were pretty happy to see the actor on screen, but now they know they have a personal way of getting in touch. So, the whole image of being a social media celebrity overshadows the image of being a celebrity on television, I think that's one major difference. Now, the actor is not only acting in front of the camera but also trying to create content on social media to get more followers on social media,' he says.

Well said, Nishant!