"'Kuldeepak' is kind of show I have been wanting to do. " - Shardul Pandit

RJ Shardul Pandit who was seen in Bandini is making a comeback on television after 6 years with & TV's Kuldeepak. The actor will essay the role of Devang Purohit in the show and he excitedly spills beans about his character.

From anchoring to acting in a daily soap as a lead, how has your journey in your career been?

I started my career with a radio channel. Acting and anchoring came much later. After pursuing acting I decided to switch to being an RJ and now that I have bagged Kuldeepak (& TV), I am very excited! This is the kind of show I have been wanting to do.  

You play Devang in 'Kuldeepak'. What is so special about this character?

On television, we mostly see the hero fighting for a heroine, or falling in love with her after some 'knok-kjok' and drama. But my character is a loving husband who believes that women are no less than men. He keeps saying that nobody is inferior and that everyone can succeed if they believe in themselves irrespective of gender. 

I personally also believe in the same. Devang Purohit is a man who does not dominate his wife and lets her have her own set of beliefs. 

Do you relate to Devang Purohit?

I'm too young to be a father so I cannot relate to that emotion. But in some ways, I do relate to the character. Whenever I am shooting with my on-screen son, I keep constructing the feeling I share with my nephew as I do not know how a father feels while holding his child. 

I can relate to my character of Devang because just like him, I too believe that women have a life of their own. A lot of men like to control their wives and I am not in favour of that.

You look very handsome. What is your secret?

The actual reason is my ketogenic diet (A high-fat diet that forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates). Because of my back injury and dengue, I had put on a lot of weight. So I had to start the diet. And I actually look different all because of that.

If you had to choose an alternate profession, what would it be?

I wanted to become an actor initially but I came from a very small city where nobody dreamt of becoming one. There, everybody wanted to do MBA or advertising. To answer your question, I was already a radio host before becoming an actor so my alternate profession would be of a Radio Jockey.

In the TV industry, it is very difficult to get work. It is also believed that the casting couch exists. What do you have to say about it?

I believe in having faith in oneself. It took me six months to return back to get back to acting and I am happy that I never compromised on my morals.

Good-luck Shardul!