I have been a good theatre artiste since my school and college days, but when I participated in 'Cine Stars Ki Khoj,' I realised that I could touch people's hearts when I performed.
Direction is something that interests me. Even while shooting, I always have conversations with the director to get a better understanding of shooting technicalities.
Juggling 'Rangrasiya' and 'Jhalak' at the same time was a big thing. It has made me headstrong.
In Jaipur, I did almost everything from regional theatre to Shakespeare's plays. But when I shifted to Mumbai, I joined Anupam Kher's academy, Actor Prepares,to hone my acting skills.
'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa' has helped me shed my inhibitions. Dancing in front of an audience was not easy for me. But I managed it and got progressively comfortable with the audience as the weeks progressed.
This journey from non-dancer to dancer has given me a lot of self-confidence and inner strength. I feel like a different person.
I was on the lookout for something different, as I was exhausted with the fiction space. When I was asked to host 'Tujhse Naaraz Nahin Zindagi,' it was not as an actor but as an individual, and on being explained the concept, I found it interesting and accepted it since it was about real people and real life.
You can ask my wife - there has always been mutual respect between us, and I believe women should be respected for what they are; at no point should they feel the need to be like men.
I have grown up on literature and mythological stories. They have fascinated me since childhood, and I believe every character that I portray on screen is an extension of my personality to some degree. That is why whatever role I play seems in my comfort zone.
Once this old lady saw me in airport and just kept smiling at me, and after much hesitation, she came and asked me, 'Are you Ram? Can I touch your hair? Is it real?' and I happily obliged.
All the characters in 'Rang Rasiya' are inspired from the Shakespearean drama 'Othello.' This is exactly what interested me to take up this role.
I like the fact that the audience does notice the hard work that I put in to maintain my physique, and there is nothing better than having your hard work appreciated!
'Siya Ke Ram' is the story of Sita and Ram as two equally strong individuals, and I feel 'Ramayan' is as much as Sita's journey as it is Ram's.
Sita and Ram were two strong individuals, and their love for each other is an example for lovers across the globe.
My family is really happy that I'm playing Ram.
I always had this dream to act: so much so, even as a child, I used to take part in Ram Leelas.
We all have this idea of Ram being a patient person besides being a great archer, a horse-rider, and above all, a compassionate king. There is more to him than that.
'Siya Ke Ram' will leave us with hardly any scope to think of other projects. And I wouldn't want to work on something and not be whole-hearted in it, either.
I know April, May and June are a few unbearable months, and working out in a gym and sweating in such dirty hot, sticky, humid weather puts me off. The best way is to swim. I feel so fresh and rejuvenated after swimming, and I believe it's one of the best mode to fitness during summers.
