Dheeraj Dhoopar who recently stepped into the shoes of Shoaib Ibrahim as Prem in Colors’ Sasural Simar Ka (Rashmi Sharma Telefilms) is satisfied with the initial reaction of viewers. “I am getting a good feedback. I accept that it is tough to play a character which has been played by someone else for quite some time. Having said this, what matters at the end is the character,” said the actor. On the efforts that he has been putting in to essay Prem, Dheeraj explained, “First of all, I am trying to understand him holistically. I have managed to do that to a great extent and will now play the role of Prem in my own style. Prem is a nice guy who is totally devoted to his family. I am quite similar to him in real life, and it should not be a tough ask to essay this character.” Dheeraj refused to get drawn into the controversy as to why Shoaib left the show. “There were rumours that he quit as he was not getting much to do in the narrative. I do not want to comment on this, as he had his personal reasons. I am sure that with time I will get enough ground to showcase my acting abilities. One of the main factors which made me sign this role is that Prem is a loved and popular character in this successful family drama.” The actor who was last seen in Sony Entertainment Television’s Kuch Toh Log Kahenge said, “It was a matter of great pride to be associated with the well-received mature romanctic show. Although my character of Amar was short-lived, it gained me quite a lot of popularity. I hear that fans are demanding that Amar gets to be seen in the Season 2 of the show.” Dheeraj who always puts in lot of hard work into his shows went on to accept that few of his projects like Maat Pitaah Ke Charnon Mein Swarg and Zindagi Kahe – Smile Please did not do well on the ratings chart. “Apart from the hard work an actor puts in, we know that there are other factors which make or break a project. I really enjoyed doing the Life OK show. It was great to work with such a reputed team, especially Ali Asgar who is a known face in Indian television.” Dheeraj, we really hope that you do great work as Prem in Sasural Simar Ka.