TV'S HOT MAN : HT City Interview

Riding high on the success of his latest show, Gurmeet Choudhary has once again struck a chord with television viewers of the country. With the show said to be garnering maximum TRPS on the channel that airs it, Gurmeet is happy with his hands full of soaps.

Essaying the role of Yash Sindhia in his current show Punar Vivaah, Gurmeet says he feels lucky that the unique concept of the show managed to click with the audience. "Even at a time when IPL is on, the shows TRPS are going up. This is my third serial and I have managed to bag a hat trick with this," quips the actor while talking to HT City over the phone from Mumbai.

Gurmeet was earlier seen portraying the role of Ram in TV serial Ramayana on NDTV Imagine and Maan Singh Khurana in the show Geet on Star One. While both the shows were well appreciated, his role of Maan, an angry business tycoon, made him a heartthrob. About his characters, Gurmeet says, "Maan was a very angry person, so he was shown as a man of few words. But the reason for Yash's silence is the death of his first wife Arpita. In the flash back sequences, his romantic and funny side is shown, but it is the loss of his wife that has made Yash quiet."

Though it is the actor's chiseled looks and romantic portrayal that awarded him popularity,Gurmeet would rather do action sequences when given a chance. "When I know that I have to do an action sequence, I am not able to sleep the previous night out of sheer excitement. For Punar Vivaah too, I kept requesting the creative team to include an action sequence," shares the actor.

However, life of a television actor is not easy, with shooting schedules running from 12 hours to even 20 hours a day. But this hectic regime is now a part of Gurmeet's life, who believes that real challenge lies in taking time out for oneself in such strenuous schedules. "I feel that because I don't drink or smoke, I am able to retain energy even after 12 hours of shooting. For me, sometimes, even 24 hours are less, because I am always on my toes," says the actor.

In an industry where long shooting hours take a toll on personal relationships, Gurmeet strikes a balance by making it a point to share whatever time he gets with his wife, Debina Bonnerjee. "Our shooting schedules are usually from either 9 am to 9 pm or from 7 am to 7 pm. So, as soon as we get free, we call each other and head to the gym together. Debina is my best friend and we always hang out together. Even while working, both of us stay in constant in touch over the phone," he smiles.

Having received love and accolades through his work on the small screen, Gurmeet is now set to move a step closer to his main target — films. The actor would also soon be seen in a Punjabi film, Yaar Mera Rab Varga.

"Since I was born in Chandigarh, the people of Punjab always shower a lot of love on me and consider me to be their 'munda'. I wanted to do a Punjabi film since the Punjabi film industry is a big market now," he says.