'The tension is killing'

Between Saathi Re, Nach Baliye and my marriage, there is just no time to breathe," says a visibly tired Arjun Punjj. He, however, looks cool in a powder blue t-shirt teamed with a beige jacket. We meet him on the sets of his new serial Saathi Re. In between a rajma chawal meal, he talks to us about his new serial, the "tension" he feels every time he takes to the dance floor on Nach Baliye and his December marriage. Saathi Re is a daily serial starting on October 10, 8.30 pm on Star One. Punjj plays Prem, a lover boy who's in love with Suman (Parakh Madan). But a dramatic twist insists that Suman has a nagin dosh in her kundali which simply means she sees snakes in her nightmares and they only spell loads of trouble for her loved ones. So the two can't marry and she has to marry another man. But another dramatic twist gets Prem back into Suman's life and it spells trouble again. Says Punjj: "It was the script of the serial which did it. The story was very interesting. I have played a romantic guy before in Sanjivani. I have played a rich, suave guy in Woho Rehne Waali Mehlon Ki. Prem is a guy-nextdoor, very charming, he's light hearted, he's a very today's guy and he speaks like one. Interestingly, the story and not just any one character will take the serial forward." Talk veers to Nach Baliye. Punjj and his actor-girlfriend Gurdip Kohli have already performed two rounds in the celebrity couple dance show. He's also earned the compliment of being a "natural dancer" from judge Saroj Khan. But Punjj admits the tension is there as ever. "In fact with every round, it's getting more. The competition is getting fierce and I think this time, all the participants are very good compared to those in the first season. Each couple is working harder to survive there and so the tension has doubled." He admits to be capable of "mov ing to the rhythm. I can groove to a song but I can't do choreographed numbers. But both Gurdip and I are giving our best shot. I guess that's very important because you don't want to go out looking embarrassed." The show format of Nach Baliye has included a new rule which gives the 'safe' couples to vote out between the two low scoring ones. "Yes, that rule has really put all of us in a fix. But we have all decided to get together including the eliminated couples and party where no body is allowed, not even the media." Punjj says that he's neither very friendly nor unfriendly with the other contestants. So will he vote out a couple which could be a possible threat to them? "Yes. We didn't ask for this new change in the format but if they have given it to us, then we will use it. I'm an emotional person and I'd rather save the person who I'm fond of. But if I see a couple which could be a possible threat to us, then I'll be practical about it." Finally, we come to the last topic of our conversation and that's his impending marriage to Kohli. "I have known Gurdip for three and a half years and the next logical step for our relationship was marriage. It feels great to marry someone you love." The marriage will take place in Delhi on December 8, 9 and 10. "We will have all the functions — sangeet, mehndi — and 10th will be the wedding. We will have a function in Mumbai too." With Nach Baliye concluding only on December 20, does he hope to stay in the competition till then? "Well, if we do then I think we will end up rehearsing during our sangeet ceremony," he signs off.

i Saathi Re, starts on October 10, at 8.30 pm, on Star One