| | | | Gaurav Chopra with Narayani Shastri | Actor Gaurav Chopra who plays Bhola in KalCchakra (Star Plus) and Raghu in Dil Kya Chahta Hai (Star One) is always spotted with Narayani Shastri (Rhimjhim of Piya Ka Ghar).
It's a kind of package deal: Both make their entry, exit together and even heat up the dance floor together at parties, film screenings and other functions. Narayani's chaperone?
In the process, it has earned Gaurav the title of Narayani's chaperone and has helped him get noticed. Chopra is forthright, "Yes, I am very close to Narayani. She is closer to me than anyone else.
She is my support system. She understands me totally and advises me . We discuss everything including professional decisions. She is very matter-of-fact, so no one can mess around with her," he adds. Narayani is the one
The couple first met on the sets of Piya Ka Ghar when Chopra essayed the role of Prem in the Zee show. "Initially Narayani was just a co-star, later we became friends and now, of course, we are there for each other."
At the moment, Gaurav is not looking beyond the present, so what shape the relationship takes in the future is best left to time. Ironically, Chopra claims it was their closeness that led to his ouster from Piya Ka Ghar six months back.
"It was a strange situation. They would tell me that I was not required for the scenes. Then the track was curtailed. I was acting opposite Narayani on the show. And just when off-screen our relationship became stable, our on-screen relationship went for a toss and I was out of the show!" Approached for Reth
On the acting front, besides KalCchakra and Dil Kya Chahta Hai, Gaurav is also seen in the reruns of Lavanya (Zee) and Ruby Duby Hub Dub (SaharaOne).
"That makes four of my shows on air at the moment," says the actor who recently had a taste of TV production houses' erratic way of operating. He was approached to play the lead role in the Zee daily Reth (as a replacement for Ankur Nayyar, now being played by Sachin Varma).
"It's strange how people behave. It was they, who approached me. They finalised me, even discussed the money aspects and just a day before the shoot was to start, I was left in the lurch with no communication till date," he fumes.
Didn't even inform me
Chopra claims he was shooting for an ad campaign in Kashmir when one of the Reth production folks called him repeatedly. "They wanted me to begin shoot immediately. I received repeated calls from them on July 29. By July 30 everything was finalised and I was to start shooting on July 31.
And then there was no communication from them! My point is that you take the actor's time , discuss and then don't even bother to inform. Due to that commitment, he may lose out on other offers."
This experience has left a bitter taste in his mouth and Gaurav is now cautious of being a replacement actor. Besides his television ventures, he is looking forward to this "huge offer" which he will divulge only when it is all chalked out. shaheen@mid-day.com |
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