Small screen, big plans
| Meet TV star Avinash Sachdev |
Avinash Sachdev
Daily soaps are providing youngsters a fine avenue for recognition and riches. The growing popularity and the glamour attached to television are attracting more youngsters to the medium than in the past when anybody who wanted to be an actor headed to Bollywood. Now it is different, with youngsters leaving everything behind to be seen on television. Some are engineers, others civil services aspirants. One such guy is Avinash Sachdev who is now seen in the daily soap Choti Bahu playing the role of Dev. Sachdev, who was preparing for his IAS exams, thought that pursuing studies and getting bookish knowledge was not his cup of tea and so landed up in Mumbai. Excerpts from a chat with the actor:
When and why did you think of joining the television industry?
I was a very good student at school. I never read books. I only took studies seriously 15-20 days before the examinations, yet I secured very good percentage. I played all kinds of pranks in school. My childhood dream was to become a pilot with the Air force but then I had to wear specs, which disqualifies you for the job. After this my parents wanted me to go for the Indian Administrative Service. I started preparing, but in the middle thought this was not the right job for me, so I told my parents I was not at all interested in it. On the other hand I was crowned Mr. Baroda, Mr. University and Mr. Gujarat, all in the year 2004-05.All this opened a new chapter for me. Modelling assignments started coming my way. Then I landed in Mumbai. Here I got to do an ad with Preity Zinta for TVS Scooty. There was no looking back. Now this is my fourth show.
What has been your most memorable experience during the shooting of "Choti Bahu"?
I have had very good experiences during the shoot, because all the co-stars are very good. We are like a family and I devote more time on the sets than at home. The best part was my death sequence where I had to fall from a height of 40 feet. I was very scared of actually losing my life, but once I was taken over the top, all the fear vanished, and I started enjoying it. The shot was retaken 12 times.
Apart from acting what else?
Yes, I am not going to act for the whole of my life. There are other things in my mind. I have a creative mind. The next thing will be that you will see me behind the camera as well. I will have to learn some technical things, and maybe I will have to go for training to the New York Film Academy. I want to do different things.
Being an IAS officer or an actor — which role would you say is more challenging?
Of course, acting is more challenging and also quite hectic. Here I can have the satisfaction of being an IAS officer, a doctor, an engineer or anything else just by playing these roles.
Any word of advice for other aspiring actors?
For aspiring actors what I can say is, you should show your capabilities, work hard, give your 100 per cent and leave the rest to God. When I landed in Mumbai I got only Rs.7000 to spend for a whole month, but now I spend more than 70,000 per month on myself. This is all because of the hard work I am doing. We had to shoot for 17-18 hours a day, 30 days a month.
S.M. AAMIRCopyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu
Link enclosed
http://www.thehindu.com/mp/2010/06/07/stories/2010060750450200.htm
