ArticleOnSalil/Shresth: At the end of the day..

It is close to four years since I moved to Mumbai. Today, when I look back at my journey from New Delhi to Mumbai, I feel surprised at how in a short span of time I managed to get a toehold in the industry. It is a dream-come- true. Today, most viewers know Shresth Kumar Mittal and that is a big achievement for me.

I am from Delhi and belong to a middle class family. I have my parents and a younger brother. As clichd as it may sound, I always wanted to become an actor and make my career at a very early age. So I didn't want to waste my time doing higher studies so after completing my graduation and a course in Mass Media, I joined a news channel and worked there for close to one year. That is where I experienced everything related to producing a news show in television -- script writing, directing, anchoring and editing.

I also got the opportunity to host a crime based show called Deewangee. After that, I realised it was the right time to move to Mumbai to pursue try my luck in acting. So I packed my bags and headed to the city of dreams.

The beginning was not smooth. I participated in a reality show called Bollywood Club on Zoom. Luckily, after doing this, I got the opportunity to work with the legendary Rajesh Khanna in Kirti Films' Raghukul Reet Sada Chali Aayi. I played the lead, a grey character. And that's how I started my journey as an actor. When I started acting I was clueless for about two months; not aware of what I was doing. But it was like the rehearsals before the final take.

This show continued for 11 months and I had a great time and gained a lot from the show. Sharing screen space with an actor like Rajesh Khanna was awesome and I learned a lot from him. After the show was over, it was back to square one for me. I started looking for roles. One day when I went to Balaji Telefilms to meet someone, a creative director asked me to audition for their new show Kitni Mohabbat Hai. I was pleasantly surprised and scared! I was not at all prepared but I auditioned and got the role of Salil Mittal. I played a complete romantic with a touch of comedy. After this came the role of Radhe in Balaji's Bairi Piya.

I'm glad I could play three different characters as they gave me an idea of how difficult it is to play a variety. In Bairi Piya, I had an amazing time with a senior actor like Sharad Kelkar and a newcomer Supriya. Sharad always guided me in the right direction.

During Kitni Mohabbat Hai, I found an elder brother in Karan Kundra who I know will always be there for me. Now I am enjoying my break since my character in Bairi Piya has been shown dead. I am waiting for some good role to come by. It's how you play a role that makes all the difference. My parents are very happy. My life has not changed -- I still lead a normal life and take a bike or an auto to work. Because at the end of the day I know I am a simple man who became an actor.