Talented actor Harshad Chopda is one of the iconic stars on TV today, who has impressed his fan base everytime he has donned a new character.
After starting on a silent note with the show Mamta, he garnered all the love and appreciation in his shows Left Right Left, Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil, Tere Liye, Dharampatni, Humsafars and recently, Bepannaah.
His looks have left girls stumped and the power in his acting has given many, sleepless nights!!
With his show Bepannaah on Colors getting to its closure, Harshad is finding it tough to get out of the void, at the same time, is happy to have been part of a show which had real good content.
In an exclusive hearty talk with IWMBuzz.com, Harshad Chopda talks about his love for the show and camera lights, on what he feels now and about his future.
Excerpts:
Bepannaah has ended… how does it feel?
I have only good memories attached with the show. It came to us as a blessing in disguise. It was so good that time went by quickly, and it feels like it closed down in just few days.
Everytime you get into a show, you want to get that full feeling when it closes down. This is my third show which gives me that incomplete feeling, the other two being Tere Liye and Humsafars. The feeling is that I could have explored a bit more with these shows if it had stayed on.
How has the journey been in totality?
Work on Bepannaah has been real fun. Work was simply a celebration. Everyone who was part of the show was kicked about it. There was a unique situation wherein everyone starting from the technicians to art department to everyone, wanted to do more of it. The best part is that we won a lot of respect with Bepannaah.
After playing Aditya Hooda with elan, what is it that you have taken home?
It is a tough situation I am in right now. I miss the whole character of Aditya Hooda now. A concept is something that is a person’s imagination on paper, but the person who is doing it looks at it differently. The character is never what is written on the paper. I think you understand what I am feeling.
So what do you miss the most now?
Well, the discipline and timetable that I had in life is missing now. Anybody who has been around me could tell exactly what I would be doing at the given hour. With freedom, you have that 24 hours window period wherein you can do anything at any time. I hate this feeling but this is what is happening now.
How was it to work with Jennifer Winget?
It was fun with Jennifer. We both have been in the industry for a while. We know what we are supposed to do on a set. We take pride in the work we do; when we come to work we are not here to have fun. At the end of it, we always try. The camera only captures not what you are doing, but what you are trying to do. So I think it is the sincerity and professionalism in work that is important and we had it in us.
How are your fans feeling now with Bepannaah’s closure?
Right now, the space is such that everybody is sad. There is a vacuum or void that is formed with Bepannaah not being there. I was so used to the pattern of getting up in the morning, enjoying my shoot and then getting back to relax and get going the next day. These are habits that get formed. The best part about Bepannaah is that there has been no solid reason for the show going off air. There have been shows which have not garnered eyeballs and have closed down. But we have been lucky that it got off when people wanted more of it.
Tell us what exactly happened after the channel apparently had plans to shift the show on the digital platform of Voot?
I don’t think I can answer this, because I don’t have any idea. So let it be!!
What are your immediate plans?
Plans are empty; it is like white paper right now. I can do whatever I want to, go wherever I want to and whenever I want to. For me, this kind of life is disturbing. I think December will pass with the zeal of Christmas and New Year. I think I can afford to not think about work for 20 days. It has been a perfect timing. I want to go out somewhere, but I have not planned it out. I might get up one morning and just pack my bags and go wherever I want to go at that moment.
Are you game to be part of the web space?
As far as I understand till now, a role is something that is purely on the basis of what has been offered to me. It is not on the basis of whatever is available there. For me, it needs to have a story and the idea is to tell a story. When the idea is anything else, usually it does not work. People either work in order to make a great show, or work with the idea of having lot of freedom. Plus everyone wants to be safe. If you check the number of views on the web, higher views will not be for content, but where there are lot of abuses coming or s*x involved.
Everyone wants to exploit that freedom, and nobody wants to still say a story. But one thing about web is that, every individual has got the power to at least segregate or make something of their own. If tomorrow, I get fed up of everything and want to express something, and I make a show of 10 minutes, in this sense it gives you a platform to create and put up. Guess over the years, when we get beyond this exploitation of freedom and get into the real content, it will get really good.
Any parting words from the actor in you?
The only blessing for an actor is that he should be working in a setup where there is content. I believe that every story by the end of it, should leave everyone with a certain mindset. The feeling should be that they are heroes of their lives and anything and everything they want to do is possible with efforts. This is my idea behind whatever I do in my career. It has to leave people in a positive state of mind that everything is good in life.
