Karan Patel shares he'd report late and drunk on set; confesses stardom got to his head

Karan Patel, who is soon going to be seen in Khatron Ke Khiladi 10, is a changed man now. In the initial days of his career, the actor was accused of being unprofessional but that's not the same anymore. With his life experiences, his work ethic, too, has undergone a shift and for good. Karan opened up to BT about his stardom, marriage, fatherhood and ex-girlfriend Kamya Panjabi. (Photo: Instagram) (By: Neha Maheshwari)

The actor, who was last seen in the hit TV show Yeh Hai Mohabbatein, shared that the fame he received by doing successful shows on the small screen got to his head. He shared, "I messed up badly. Stardom got to my head, and I got too big for my boots during the course of my show, 'Kasturi' (2007-2009). I would report late, that too, drunk, on the set. I thought that I could get away with it because I had become an overnight star. But not everyone will tolerate that kind of behaviour for long. The show ended and I was out of work for a couple of years." (Photo: Instagram)

It was during the phase he was unemployed that he realised he needed to discipline himself and maintain the stardom that he had received from the audience. He said, "So, I consciously made an effort to rectify my approach towards work. Now, I have disciplined myself. I used to drink on the set, which I don’t anymore. I still don’t make it on time for the shoot, but I am not as late as I used to be. I am getting there, slowly. I remember apologising to Ekta (Kapoor) for the mistakes I made in the past and telling her that I won’t repeat them. But I also told her that I will make newer mistakes. No man is perfect. Everybody needs a second chance in life and I am glad that I got it." (Photo: Instagram)

Unlike his previous shows where he made headlines for fighting with his co-stars, Karan Patel told BT that this time around he got along with his co-contestants like a house on fire. He shared, "In fact, we broke the ice at the Mumbai airport itself. It’s fun to meet new people. You always have a perception of others based on what you have heard about them. It’s amazing to have that perception shattered and realise that people are totally different from what you thought of them." (Photo: Instagram)

Karan Patel is known to be a bad-boy and confessed that he doesn't mind the tag. He revealed, "I kind of like my bad-boy image, and consciously try to maintain it. Because then, nobody can take me for a ride. Otherwise, serial actors ko bahut ullu banate hain. Having said that, I don’t do anything to earn that tag. Whatever image you have of me is your own perception. I am not putting on an act; I am just myself." (Photo: Instagram)

The actor said that having a partner does change one's life personally and professionally. He shared, "If your marriage matters to you, it will change you and the same applies to your work. If there is something that I hold close to my heart, I will make sure to not do things that might make me lose it." (Photo: Instagram)

Karan and Ankita embraced parenthood in December 2019. Unfortunately, the two had a miscarriage in 2018. Karan shared, "Fatherhood is the best feeling in the world. We lost a daughter and then we got a daughter. I think she is back. She is just two months old and is too small to respond, but just seeing her smile lights up my day." (Photo: Instagram)

While Karan's on to the next stage of his life, his ex-girlfriend Kamya Panjabi tied the knot recently with Shalabh Dang. Karan said, "I am as happy as any of her family members. I don’t wish ill for anybody. I wish her a happy married life. More than the couple, I am thrilled for Kamya’s daughter, Aara. Kamya has been an independent and self-made woman. Everybody deserves happiness in life. I got my share, so should she and everyone else."