New article : I wanted to be a stockbroker

Link to article: www.deccanherald.com/content/326454/i-wanted-stockbroker.html

'I wanted to be a stockbroker'

He has been in the industry for almost a decade and is a familiar face on celluloid. What has made him successful are the daily soaps, especially Baa Bahoo Aur Baby and more recently Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saraswati Chandra.

Metrolife met chiselled bod, Gautam Rode, who was recently in the City to give the Star Plus Nayi Soch Award. He took out time from his hectic schedule to be part of the event, largely because of his attachment with the City.

"I?am a Delhiite, a Panju," he exclaims after giving the award and shares that he still misses his favourite pastimes: "Hot Chocolate Fudge at Nirula's, momos at Chanakyapuri and PVR,?Vasant Vihar (where he watched films).

Born and brought up here, Gautam never thought of taking up acting as a profession. "I never wanted to be an actor. When I?was in college, I?thought I would be a stockbroker like my father. However, he sold the ticket because he had some financial losses. I then started modelling for TV?commercials but never thought about acting."

His campaigns took him to Mumbai and he initially decided to stay there for only a few years. "I?thought I?would model for some time and then go back to join dad's business but then someone suggested acting as I could speak Hindi well. So, I started acting in order to pay my rent but with time, I began enjoying it and now this is the only thing I know."

His struggles paid off partially when films began coming his way but success came by way of serials. With Ba Bahoo... he gained popularity and fans with Nach Baliye 5, which he was anchoring. But bigger things were in store.

He bagged the role of Saras and credits his sense of focus for the same. "As an actor, you have to think on those lines and prepare whatever homework is given to you by the channel, producer and director. I believe that if you are a sensible person, you are a sensible actor too. You just have to know what the character is all about and Saras is an introvert who speaks less and has had a traumatic childhood." A character which Gautam identifies with in real life.

"In Nach Baliye, I go loud and overboard but that is the demand of the show. According to our people, calm and composed does not work. So, you got to fool around and do certain things which you might not be comfortable with, but still have to do."

However, he managed to maintain an equilibrium between this madness and seriousness. "Coincidently, both shows came together and I had to balance in my head," he says confessing that when he was offered the character of Saras, he thought "it?would be very boring because he is sulking all the time. But now, I enjoy Saraswati Chandra more than Nach Baliye. I don't know why and how!"