TV industry is women-centric; I am fine with it: Vishal Gandhi

Gujarati actor Vishal Gandhi, who rose to fame while playing Kabir in the popular show Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani (2010-11) and was also appreciated for his performance in the show Tamanna in 2016, is glad to be back on TV with a full-fledged role in Meet: Badlegi Duniya Ki Reet after almost five years. Talking to us, Vishal shares, “I had got a show after Tamanna went off air, but my dad was diagnosed with cancer around the same time. The doctor said that he would live for another six months at the most and I wanted to spend time with him. Being the only child of my parents, I was really attached to him and when he passed away after three months, I was shattered. He was my best buddy and I used to share everything with him. I couldn’t be myself for a long time and I had told my close friends not to be upset with me if they found me to be impulsive or moody. During that phase, I didn’t feel like doing any projects that required long-term commitments.” He adds, “My dad always used to tell me that one should keep fighting and never give up under any circumstances. After he passed away, I always kept that in mind. My wife Sunhom, who is a yoga instructor, life coach and influencer, really helped me to stay calm during those trying times. Eventually, when I was ready to get back to acting, the lockdown happened. I had almost exhausted my savings and it was not an easy phase. I gave many auditions but as they say, out of sight means out of mind in showbiz. When I was offered a meaty role in Meet: Badlegi Duniya Ki Reet, I gladly took it up and I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this show so far. It’s a challenging role and as an actor, I couldn’t have asked for more. I have also got good feedback from the audience for this role.”

‘Television is a women-oriented medium’

Talking about his journey on television so far, he says, “Apart from my current show, my role in Tamanna, where I played a manipulative husband, was quite challenging and I had great fun while playing a negative character. Our TV industry is women-oriented and I have absolutely no issues with that. However, I feel that we need more shows that are realistic. In today’s times, there’s no reason why the audience won’t love such content.” In recent times, a lot of actors have spoken about social media following playing a big role when it comes to casting for TV shows. Asked about it, Vishal shares, “While I haven’t faced this, I have heard about such instances from industry colleagues. If the makers make a smart choice, I have nothing against it because at the end of the day, everyone wants their shows to run successfully. However, it is equally important to find out whether those social media followers are watching TV shows as well. If that isn’t the case, it doesn’t really help much.”

‘I want to play the hero in a Gujarati film’

Vishal, who has done a Gujarat web series recently, is open to doing Gujarati films too but says that he hasn’t got any exciting offers so far. “After the web series, I got many compliments and was told that I would be a great choice for playing the lead in Gujarati cinema. However, when I was approached by a couple of filmmakers, the roles weren’t exciting. In fact, when I wanted to audition for a role, I was told that they would consider only actors based in Gujarat for the lead role and that was a bit surprising. I am glad to see the way the Gujarati film industry has grown and would love to take up a project but won’t do just any role. I am fine with a two-hero project too, but I don’t want to play insignificant roles in films at this stage of my career,” he shares. So, is he looking at doing more OTT projects? “Television will always remain my first love, but I would love to do more OTT shows. While doing a web series, you have a clear idea about your role and the number of episodes, which really helps. On TV, I would love to do a lead role on the lines of what Shah Rukh Khan played in films like

Darr

and

Anjaam

, or what Anil Kapoor played in Eeshwar. It would be challenging but great fun to play an obsessive lover or a childlike character, which I haven’t done till date,” he says.

‘I have always enjoyed shooting in Gujarat’

While there is information on the internet about him being born and educated in Gujarat, Vishal says that it is not true. He says, “I was born and brought up in Mumbai and there’s a lot of incorrect information about me on the internet. However, I have always enjoyed shooting in Gujarat, especially Ahmedabad. I love that city and don’t mind if people call me an Amdavadi!”