Article:Being Anurag Basu

Anurag Basu is back! No, it isn't the Kites director making a comeback, but the return of Ekta Kapoor's favourite screen character. The screen queen's latest drama Taryay Liyay (Monday to Thursday at 10pm on STAR Plus), set and shot in Calcutta, will have small screen heartthrob Harshad Chopda playing the role of Anurag, close to five years after Cezanne Khan took the character to near-iconic heights in Ekta's own Kasautii Zindagii Kay.

"Anurag's character is the most powerful in the show. He is someone who starts off being ignorant about love, then knows about it, gradually understands it, falls in love himself and finally sacrifices for love. I move from being a boy to a man, from immaturity to maturity," says Harshad, who first became popular as the romantic Prem in Ekta's Kis Des Mein Hai Meraa Dil.

Set in Calcutta, the Taryay Liyay crew will camp in the city over the next couple of months to shoot the show in various real locations in and around the city. "We could have shot it all on set, but Ekta was very keen on capturing the flavour and fervour of the city in Taryay Liyay. We will shoot in places typical of Calcutta. I am particularly excited because I love the city," says Harshad. "There will also be quite a bit of Bengali dialogues since most of the characters will be Bengali," he adds.

Just the promos may have been shot so far, but the actor from Jaipur already feels that Taryay Liyay will prove to be a winner. "Normally it is seen that with any new show, the actors take some time to adjust to their characters and to adjust with each other. This has not been the case here because Taryay Liyay has a very well-written script and strong characterisation," says Harshad.

Harshad also has very kind words for co-star Anupriya Kapoor who was last seen in Miley Jab Hum Tum and who plays the role of Taani in the serial. "She's a natural actor and our chemistry should definitely become a talking point," he predicts.

And how does it feel returning to the Ekta Kapoor fold after the success of Kis Des? "Ekta knows the business inside out. The scenes she writes are not easy to emote, but they are extremely powerful and you can't help but act them out to the best of your ability. There can be no one better than her."