Ankit Narang, who rose to the limelight as Soham Maanav Deshmukh in the popular show Pavitra Rishta has grown as an actor with time!! He has played a range of characters in TV shows Bade Achhe Lagte Hain, Divya Drishti etc.
Presently, he plays the grounded, emotional and practical-minded Angad Sakhuja in Star Plus’ show Zindagi Mere Ghar Aana. Ankit feels that he is honoured to be part of such an enriching concept helmed by Zama Habib.
In a candid, exclusive conversation with IWMBuzz.com, Ankit talks about his character, his career and much more.
Excerpts:
How did this role in Zindagi Mere Ghar Aana come to you?
I was already in talks for a Zee show and was almost finalised for it. So when I got this offer, I refused to take it as I was all set to bag the other one. Eventually, that show got scrapped. I realized later that they had not locked the cast yet for Zindagi Mere Ghar Aana, for which I was approached. Eventually, I bagged the role.
How would you describe Angad Sakhuja?
Angad is a normal guy who is sensible, emotional. He is going through a lot in life that makes him sad at times. Otherwise, he is also a fun-loving guy like how his family members are. Angad has seen a lot in life and is more mature when compared to the childish Kabir. He has this quality of caring for other people’s feelings too much. He would never hurt someone consciously.
Even with all his good qualities, Angad has lost the love of his life. How would you describe what he is going through?
Everything that happened was very situational. It is a misunderstanding, and Angad is going through the pain of losing his love. I empathize with him.
List out the similarities between Angad and Ankit.
I am as mature as Angad is in real life. But the only difference is that I do not talk maturely in real life. I never take things seriously, and see the serious side too in a light-mannered way. Otherwise, both are very similar in terms of the way they are. Inherently, I am not like Angad at all. But I do understand his judgement of things, his emotions and maturity because of my personal experiences in life. So there is a connection, and yet, there is no connection too.
Viewing your career graph, we can say that you pick roles with a lot of thought. Tell us about it.
Every character that I have done in my life has been very different from the others. Sohum of Pavitra Rishta was ‘gaon ka Bihari gunda’ who turned into a nice man. His dialect was very different. In Bade Achhe Lagte Hain, I played a fun-loving, rich brat. In Divya Drishti, I was the negative villain; I used to flirt with my Bhabhi. This role in Zindagi Mere Ghar Aana is of a normal, regular boy with a heart of gold. You can say that this is the one good boy role that I have got. But for me, this is the most difficult role to play.
Why do you say playing Angad is difficult?
It is quite similar to me in real life. This character does not have a periphery to play up with. Angad is a normal person with varying interpersonal relationships with many people in the show. It has been by far the most difficult journey in any character that I have played.
What are your takeaways from the role of Angad?
Angad is extremely spiritual. His conscious decisions are always for the betterment of the situation that he and his people find themselves in. Though I have never mentioned this in any of my interviews, I feel it in the gut that Angad is spiritual.
How is it to work with such a brilliant cast?
I get to learn a lot from them. Yes, there are instances where they love my acting too. But I truly learn from them. Everything is so natural for them when they get their lines. They are bang on in everything.
How special is Zindagi Mere Ghar Aana for you?
Over the years, the content on TV was not something that I wanted to watch. I did not do TV for a long time. I was getting offers for web series and was also busy auditioning for films. The story of this show touched me so much that I wanted to be a part of it. Above all, Zamaji is Zamaji!! His writing caters to everybody with a lot of depth and nuance. Even in a very light-hearted manner, he has this knack for conveying something really important. We have put in a lot of effort for the show.
Tell us about Ankit as a person.
I enjoy playing. Whenever I am not shooting, I am either playing Cricket or Badminton. I love reading books. What can I tell about myself? I can only say that I am learning and growing with all my life experiences. If I look back, I was different four years back. Today, I think differently. I am a nice guy, fun-loving, naughty. I would not hurt anybody for anything. However, I want to be more spiritual in life.
Getting back to the show, how do you like the concept of it and the spirit that the Sakhuja family holds?
I truly believe in how they see life!! Life is going to throw innumerable problems and hurdles on you, which you might not have accepted. Situations are not going to change if you sit and cry over them. So why not move forward, and seek happiness!!
When is Angad getting some happiness?
I have no idea (smiles). Obviously, he deserves some happiness, I feel.
Will Meera eventually be Kabir’s love?
I don’t know about this!! I truly know that this is the story of Amrita and Pritam. Along with it, there are Kabir, Angad and Meera. I don’t know if Angad will ever be able to fall in love with anybody else after Meera.
What are your expectations from the show?
For this question, I want to share the thoughts that KK Sir, that is Kiran Karmarkar Sid had shared in one of his interviews with the media. He had said, ‘Zamaji ke saath koi bhi show karna aisa hai ki, aap thak ke ghar aaye ho aur kisine aapke haath main gud aur thanda paani dediya ho’. The satisfaction that you derive when you get this in hand, is similar to how you feel when you get to work with Zamaji!! You tend to go to the set with a very satisfying feeling. You get to read great scenes, and you are eager to give your best.
