Luck favours some while others make it big with a lot of hard work. We at Tellychakkar.com recently bumped into someone who has worked extremely hard to make his way to a well known GEC show. Who are we talking about? We are referring to Gaurav Mukesh best known as Sharad of Star Plus’ Suhani Si Ek Ladki (Panorama Entertainment). It was a struggle of four and a half long years. Now that’s not a short frame of time when you’re staying in a city like Mumbai. Sharing his experience the actor avers, “It’s been a long wait and during this phase I did take up a few episodics and a DD show but then I wanted something big. So, I kept auditioning and then I was offered a show where I was to play an Allahabadi character. I shot for its pilot and it never saw the day of light but that’s also when Suhani Si Ek Ladki happened.” We hear that your role in the Star Plus show was meant to be a just ten day cameo? “That’s true. I was offered the role of Yuvraj’s friend and not the brother but the makers liked my acting so much that they changed my character and also made me a permanent cast.” Given the fact that you’re a Jain how do you manage to master the Allahabadi tone? “Sharad is a simple man from Allahabad so, the tone was a must. For me, I had attended a workshop on the dialect for my earlier project that got shelved. So there was no re -working. It came handy for this venture.” Tell us a bit more about your role? “He is a positive man who tries and does his best for Yuvraj (Sahil Mehta). He listens and follows Yuvraj blindly and tries bailing him out of every situation. Interestingly, his attempts to do good for Yuvraj always turn out to be a disaster. He is also a very comical man.” This seems to be your opportunity to showcase your talent at its best. “I come from a business background especially a Jain family where at 22 you’re supposed to be getting married and taking over the family business. I did not want to do the same and stay with the regret that I never tried. I remember when I first expressed my desire to become an actor my father said a straight ‘no’ but I insisted and went on to become an RJ in Indore for a year. Soon after I came down to Mumbai and struggled badly for a year and a half. I was advised to join acting institutes and my family too gave me an ultimatum but I continued doing my best – auditioning.” Which means there was no backing out? “I did give up when my dad got a heart attack and I returned home. When he recovered I took his permission to get back to Mumbai for just two days and he did permit me. From that day there has been no looking back.” How are you going to take your caliber from here? “I plan to do good work and grab every opportunity that comes my way. I’ll give more than 101 percent in everything I do. I have this fire in me and it’s not settling that soon.” Way to go Gaurav!