From landing the backhand slices onto the opponent's court, to playing a baddie on the small screen, actor Abhaas Mehta has charted a different course. Abhaas, who used to play tennis, later joined his friends who wanted to pursue law.
But destiny has other plans in store for him as Abhaas chanced upon the world of showbiz. Abhaas says he was never "professionally inclined towards tennis. I was not so keen to make tennis my career. Although it is the next best sport in India after cricket; I really wanted to do a course in sports management. I did indulge in dramatics back in school," Abhaas says. After studying law, he joined acting school. Currently he's a baddie in Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon.
Ask him about his first break and the Punjabi munda replies, "My first break was actually in a movie with John Abraham. It was scary...he is a superstar and I was just beginning my career. But he made me feel comfortable. Unfortunately the film got scrapped. But I had a lot of fun; we used to watch the IPL matches after shots in his vanity van and talk about fitness. It was our common passion. Like him, I am also a fitness freak and have been working out religiously for the last six years. I am also a certified fitness trainer."
Quiz him about his transition to the small screen and he says, "I first got a role in Devi. It was a positive character. Then for my second show with the same production house, we travelled a lot for the shooting. But unfortunately due to the Cricket World Cup, the show also got scrapped after which I decided to move on and I did not want to give more time to a show. I did a cameo in Na Aana Is Des Laado."
Speaking about his negative character in Iss Pyar Ko... Abhaas says, "I did not want to be stereotyped by playing the same type of characters. Shyam's character witnessed a sea transformation from someone who initially is as good as gold, to a manipulative man. Now it is completely black!"
So is he getting hate mails for this role and Abhaas (laughs) and says, "Yes! That's the power of Indian television. Even if it is fiction, people believe in what is depicted on the small screen and relate to it as something that happens in real life." He goes on to add, "Initially I felt very bad on getting hate mails. But Inshallah, I take it in the right spirit now."
Marathi TV
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