Apurva Agnihotri Soon To Go The Family Way!
After debuting in Subhash Ghai's Pardes, not only did Apurva Agnihotri garner awards for his wicked supporting-act alongside Shah Rukh Khan, he was also touted as an actor to look out for. But unfortunately, things didn't work out for him and his Bollywood career took a backseat. But he came back with a bang, when he essayed the role of the suave Armaan Suri in Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi on TV and television became the medium that gained him unprecedented heights of popularity. Currently, he has stepped into the shoes of an actor much younger than him on the super-hit daily Sapna Babul Ka… Bidaai, and after a long time, the media-shy Apurva has spoken his heart out!
After Pardes, Apurva did a couple of films but none of these films did what Pardes did for him. "Thankfully, God has given me the thought process of not looking down upon anything. I think it's the way we look at a job that makes it small or big. An actor has to be prepared for everything. As long as you are doing good work, you will be appreciated. In hindsight, it was a good decision to take up television," he states, as he talks about his transition from Bollywood to the small-screen.
Prior to Bidaai, Apurva was last seen in the show Radhaa Ki Betiyaan Kuch Kar Dikhayengi and then Pati Patni Aur Woh, where he participated alongside wife Shilpa Saklani. But it was only after a sabbatical of nine months that he made a comeback with Bidaai. "It feels nice to be back. Luckily, I am working with all the people I used to know during my Jassi… days."
The actor, who had three offers to choose from, ultimately zeroed down on Bidaai. "They were the usual conventional roles, very regressive stuff, so I didn't take them up. I knew somewhere that I wouldn't have enjoyed doing those shows. Another nice show was offered to me before I got Bidaai. I was very close to finalizing that one. But suddenly Rajan Shahi called and narrated the script of Bidaai. He is someone I really look up to and love as a person. He had directed me in Jassi… He is a star director now and so the guy was an obvious choice. Hence, I took up this opportunity."
Ask Apurva if the fact that he has to step into the shoes of Kinshuk Mahajan, who is a much younger actor, bothers him and he instantly replies, "Not really. I don't think of all this. Whatever is given to me, I do my best. I don't like to think too much. It really isn't my concern. They called me, I liked the role and that's about it. All my co-actors are doing a fantastic job. They keep me on my toes and I can never become complacent here. I am enjoying whatever I am doing. I am not here to take anyone's place," he explains. "I want to create my own place. If I can do that, I will think I have successfully entered Bidaai. Whatever little work I have done, I have always done it with honesty. In the long run, honesty pays off. So I hope people like me. My policy in life is, if you give me something to do, I'll do it to the best of my ability. I don't rack my brains too much and think about the consequences."
And though most actors his age are either sitting at home or waiting for their films to release, Apurva doesn't feel he's a misfit among the current lot of young, fresh actors. "Why would I feel out of place? I have always had a sense of belonging to television."
One can't help but notice that Apurva has had a sort of a mini-makeover. He's sporting a lean look and has even gotten rid of his trademark long hair.
He modestly says, "I have just been working out regularly and I think it's nicer to be lean. But I am not that thin. It's also the kind of clothes I wear. If I wear a tight-fitted shirt, you will see that I am not skinny. Let me give you this Hollywood theory. I am playing a kind of role, which requires me to look lean. Anyway, I don't put on weight easily as I am not fond of eating out and am a pure vegetarian. As for my hair, I had long hair for three years. I needed a change, so I chopped it out. Everyone thinks short hair suits me more."
Much has been said about Apurva's reluctance of talking to the media, so one wonders what brought about this sudden change in him, as now he is comfortable speaking to the press. For years it was assumed that he had an attitude problem and wasn't interested in any sort of media interaction.
But Apurva clears the air. "I am basically very shy and have problems interacting with strangers. I like to keep it that way. I always believe that you should talk when you have something worth talking about. People, who know me, know I don't have any kind of attitude problem. I don't think they have this kind of a perception about me anyway. I just like to keep a low profile." His wife Shilpa on the other hand is known to be more socially amiable. "Oh, Shilpa is totally the opposite of what I am. Everyone speaks to her and she easily makes friends. She is an extrovert. Even I am friendly, but it takes time for me to open up."
Speaking about Shilpa, the couple has been married for quite sometime now. Are they planning to start a family soon and embrace parenthood like their other married contemporaries? "We will start a family next year, because before that I need to make lots of money! Starting a family is an expensive proposition. I want to be settled first. I think another year, year-and-a-half on television should do that. Next year, we will keep a deadline." He talks about wife Shilpa and his thoughts on it. "Shilpa loves kids. She is very good with them. In fact, she is very good with kids and animals. I remember it was very tough being on Pati Patni Aur Woh. We were not used to raising kids. We used to be up almost the whole day. Initially, I got a little pissed off and used to wonder what I was doing. But when the kids left on the fourth day, we both were crying, though obviously I didn't cry in front of the camera. It is something that is difficult to explain unless you have experienced it."
For all those who want to see Shilpa-Apurva acting together, there may finally be some good news. They have been offered a show. Apurva elaborates, "Just when I started shooting for Bidaai, we got an offer. It is a very nice, intriguing daily soap. I hope we get the time to do it, as it is slated to go on floors post the monsoons. You see, I only do one show at a time. I like it that way and enjoy it because if there is too much of work, then you can't make anyone happy, including yourself. I have seen my actor friends doing two shifts in a day and working for 19-20 hours. You burn out soon. It's not what I want to do."
Apart from acting, Apurva has always been inclined towards direction and is seriously contemplating getting into that field. "I have always wanted to direct and I just hope and pray to God that it happens. I don't know about being a successful actor, but I want to be a successful director for sure. Also, because my father has been a writer, I would love to go back to films as a director. But I am going to be doing television for some more time, before I take that leap."
At the moment, Apurva is content with television and feels very settled here. Only time will tell what he plans to do next.
* By Purvaja Sawant
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