ashish on new heights

On a new turf

Ashish Sharma, who entered the world of cinema with the much acclaimed Love Sex Aur Dhokha is all set to make his debut on the small screen with Gunaaho Ka Devta on Imagine. He is playing a character inspired by the dreaded UP gangster Sriprakash Shukla. The talented young actor from Jaipur believes in performance whatsoever the medium is.

Excerpts from an interview:

How did your life change after Love Sex Aur Dhokha?

At personal level nothing has changed. I am the same person. But on the professional front a lot of changes have taken place. People have started taking me a bit too seriously as an actor. Now I do not have to go to people, people approach me for work.

Don't you think you took a big risk by choosing a controversial subject like Love Sex Aur Dhokha as your first film?

The first film that I signed was Zindagi Tere Naam but Love Sex Aur Dhokha got released first. As far as the risk factor is concerned, I don't think I took a risk, as I had nothing to lose. People had no expectations from me and I had no expectation from people. I concentrated on my performance and left everything else to time. Thankfully, I got a good response after the film.

Tell us about your character in Gunaaho Ka Devta?

I am playing the role of Avdesh Singh Thakur. It is based on the life of a real life don. Avdesh is the leader of the most dreaded gang of criminals belonging to a small town of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. He is a good-hearted gangster, who is not only famous for invoking fear but also for his sense of humour and humanity.

Was it difficult to play Avdesh?

It was quite challenging for me. Out of all the difficulties language was the biggest barrier. A lot of hard work went into getting the lingo right. For this, we also took one month workshop with a teacher from Varanasi, who helped us to learn the dialect.

Small town violent stories are not new for television. How is it different?

It represents the journey of a man, unlike other television series where the lead is a female protagonist. The other factor that makes it different is that it has been shot very cinematically.

What are your upcoming projects?

For big screen I have two films, Zindagi Tere Naam and Alah Udal lined up for the release. Considering the long hours one has to put for television soaps, how will you manage films and television simultaneously?

By the time I will resume my work in the films, we will have enough episodes in bank. I will try my best to balance between them but my inclination will always be towards cinema as it provides more space for performance.