Vijayendra Kumeria who essays the role of Dev Parekh the male lead in Naagin – Bhagya Ka Zehreela Khel is making girls go weak in their knees with his ‘most eligible bachelor’ role in the show.
The actor who won hearts for his lead role performance in Colors’ Udaan is back with the channel and is enjoying all the limelight in his first show for Balaji Telefilms.
His amazing persona in the show and his chemistry with Nia Sharma has been lauded.
In an exclusive conversation with IWMBuzz.com, Vijayendra Kumeria talks about his Naagin journey, the highs and lows of his career, about his family life and much more.
Excerpts:
Congrats on the fabulous response and rating for Naagin – Bhagya Ka Zehreela Khel. How does it feel to be part of the cult series which is hugely successful?
It feels great to be a part of this successful franchise of Balaji Telefilms. I am really happy that it is doing well. The previous three seasons have done well, and this season too is being liked. Numbers are good, so all is well.
What were your immediate thoughts when you were offered Naagin? And how did you get convinced? Take us through the process.
When I was asked for a look test, I could not visit the place. But I sent them a self-test from my mobile. After that, I forgot about it. Frankly speaking, I did not take it very seriously. But after a few days, I was told that I was selected. I was very happy. I was sure that I can pull it off once I get the brief. Of course, I was thrilled as this is my first Balaji show. And Naagin is the biggest franchise on Indian television, and to be a part of it was great. I will not say that it was a very lengthy process, but I am happy that it happened.
Working with Nia and Jasmin is great because they are good actors. They know their craft. Luckily, I gel up with them.
You are working with two gorgeous and hugely talented ladies in Nia Sharma and Jasmin Bhasin. How is your rapport with them?
Working with Nia and Jasmin is great because they are good actors. They know their craft. Luckily, I gel up with them. We do our scenes with sincerity and we are professionals. We also have a fun time on sets. The scenes come up very well as we share a great rapport. Yes, it is great working with them.
Dev has been a personal favourite of all in telly town today. What makes this character so special?
Yes, people are liking the character of Dev Parekh. He is very lovable as he does not do anything wrong. He is not a boring person and is very fun-loving. He has a good sense of humour. He does all the right things and respects his elders. Dev loves his siblings and cousins. He has this very most eligible bachelor kind of an image. And I feel this is one reason why people are liking it. There is no negativity surrounding this character.
Are you anywhere close to what Dev is in real life?
Ya, it is very easy for me to to do this, as in real life too, I am quite similar to Dev. I also like to do the right things, being respectable towards my elders, and shower love on the youngsters in my family. I am always supportive of the right things. So it is very relatable for me.
You have had a great journey as an actor and you have tried out varied roles. How is this role of Naagin different?
Ya, I have been lucky that I have been offered good roles with each project. In Shastri Sisters, I was an airforce officer. In Udaan, I was a dabangg character and got to do a lot in that show. So if you compare Dev to my characters of the past, he is very different. It is nice for me to do different kind of roles as an actor. Since it has not got monotonous for me, I can experiment a lot. If I don’t get bored with what I am doing, I am quite happy. If you achieve doing well for the character, it is great as an actor.
Vijayendra Kumeria, you must have done your study before taking up Naagin. Why do you think this is a top seller show always?
I did not do any study about Naagin. But being in the industry, everybody knows that this is a big franchise and what’s going on in the show. What I think makes Naagin what it is, is that people enjoy it on weekends. Another aspect is that it is a fiction fantasy, and you tend to enjoy the graphics and animation involved. Also, there is romance and drama coming along. Overall, it is a complete package and people get entertained. This explains why the numbers are always on top and this is what I feel personally.
Chemistry with Nia has come out quite organically, and I am very happy about it.
Your chemistry with Nia Sharma is already the talk of the town. How easy or difficult is it to achieve this on screen?
I always say that chemistry is not something that you can build. It always happens. It is the same with Nia. Whatever scenes are given to us, we read them and do our rehearsals. We do it our way, and somewhere if one does improvise in between, the other person is able to counter that improvisation and make the scene better. It has come out quite organically, and I am very happy about that.
You are working with a huge star cast which is a mix of senior experienced actors and youngsters. How is the camaraderie with all on the set?
Yes, you are right. We have a mix of actors in this cast. Some are really senior and few are freshers. Some are in between like us. I would say that surprisingly, it is a very nice cast. Everyone has a lot of fun when we have our combination scenes. And there is no senior and junior demarcation on our set. Everyone enjoys the work and we are having a great time.
If you ask me personally, I have this knack of mingling with all. So I enjoy my time with the seniors as well as the new actors. I can get into the intellectual talk with senior artists, and can also get into youth-based talks when with youngsters.
I always keep attitude and ego aside, and that is the reason may be my co-actors are also quite relaxed and find me easy to work with.
You have always worked out great chemistry with your leading ladies. How does that magic happen?
I really don’t know as I told you. Chemistry is something that happens. But yes, I always keep attitude and ego aside, and that is the reason, maybe my co-actors are also quite relaxed and find me easy to work with. Maybe this can be the reason why chemistry really comes out well.
What is your forte as an actor? Does romance come naturally to you?
I like doing all kind of scenes. Till a few years back, I felt that romance is the most difficult emotion for me to enact. But now I feel that I do romantic scenes quite easily (smiles). I think that has happened with passing years and experience, and of course confidence that increases with time.
How satisfied are you with your role in Naagin? Have you ever thought of the concept being more of a female-dominated story, Vijayendra Kumeria?
Mostly all television shows are women-centric and so is Naagin. But I am quite happy and satisfied with my role in this show. Even in my previous shows, I have got the same importance as the female lead gets. I have normally been offered substantial lead roles.
Your journey has been splendid. Take us through the highs and lows of it.
I have completed 9 years in the industry. The start might not have been great, but the graph has been in an upward motion. I am happy that my career has shaped up this way. I have learnt a lot and really value what I do.
I like to do a lot of action in my shows. So Khatron Ke Khiladi is something that will attract me.
Tell us about your personal life and your thoughts on giving them time.
Whatever time I have after my shoot is my personal family time and for few very good friends of mine. I try to give most of the time to them. Right now, when I am doing any project, it is very difficult to manage time for my home. I have a daughter who is just three and a half years old. So I truly understand that she requires a lot of attention from her dad. I enjoy my time with my daughter and wife. I am not a person who likes to party a lot. So the time away from work is family time.
Vijayendra Kumeria, do you want to be part of any reality shows?
I have never thought about them. I take things as they come. I cross the bridge when I get there. So I have not given it a thought. If you ask me what kind of reality I will like to do, I like to do a lot of action in my shows. So Khatron Ke Khiladi is something that will attract me.
Do you want to explore the web platform?
Yes, of course, I will love to do web. I see a lot of nice finite series, which are close to shooting for films. The kind of acting an actor gets to do in them is quite natural. If I get a chance, I will love to try my hands on the web.
Do you have any regrets in life?
I truly believe that whatever happens in our life, it happens for a reason. If I try and say that I regret something and hope I could have changed that, I feel the chain would break and I will not be where I am today. So I say that I have no regrets. Good, bad, ugly, whatever happens, should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Best of luck, Vijayendra Kumeria!!