The ever-charming Rafi Malik has simply enjoyed playing the royal character of Rajveer in Sony TV’s Desh Ki Beti Nandini. Now, as the sweet boy-next-door Ramashrey in Star Plus’ Tere Sheher Main, he’s grabbing the attention of all girls… Well, kudos to the actor, especially because as Rafi puts it, none of the above two characters have been similar to his real self. Claims Rafi, “I have had to work a lot on both my characters, as I have found a need to underplay them.” So what kind of a person is Rafi Malik in real life? “Aah, I am a fully confident guy who would not aim to compete with the best, but will always make sure to be the best. I am a guy who takes complete charge of my life. I have always gone and told my parents about my will and way, and they have accepted it as they have a firm faith in me. I have taken some strong decisions for myself in life, and they have certainly come good.” Comparing his real self to his characters on-screen, Rafi avers, “Rajveer had no-say in his life and was a guy who would listen to his mom and family. Ramashrey is very sweet, yet under confident. It gives me immense happiness when I sit back and think about how differently I have portrayed these characters.” Now that Rafi has managed to underplay so well, his next goal as an actor will be to take up a show where he can justify his feelings and have a more confident outlook. “Yes, I want to play myself on screen now. Let’s see how the road ahead shapes up. My ultimate goal is to test the waters at the big-screen level though.” Ask Rafi about a particular moment when he’s turned it around and made good decisions for himself, and he speaks at length. “I started off as a young boy playing cricket on the streets of Bhopal, and then made it as a cricketer in the district and state level team in Madhya Pradesh. There was a time when my enthusiasm for the sport used to make me walk all the way for nearly 12-15 km, carrying my heavy cricket kit, and play on the ground. Then came a moment when I had to put a halt to my flourishing cricketing journey owing to my lower back problem. That was when I decided to try my hands at modeling. My modeling career took me to the pinnacle of success, as I achieved something at the level of Gladrags, especially by making it big after coming from a small town. After modeling came my acting stint. I have had a nice journey so far and look for bigger days as an actor.” Way to go, Rafi!! Of course, there’s a long road ahead…