Exclusive! "I consider myself an acting nerd and it was a wonderful experience to work with some of the finest actors," says Vijay Krishna on his debut OTT project Avrodh Season 2

Bengaluru-bases actor Vijay Krishna, or rather Dr.Dev as he is fondly known by the Kannada viewers for his on-screen character with the daily soap Kannadati seems to be expanding his horizon in terms of acting. The Kannadati actor is currently enjoying the success of his debut web series Avrodh (season 2), where he has essayed the character of Imtiaz Ahmed. ETimes TV got in touch with the actor, who shared his experience while shooting for a Hindi web series and much more.

I have been working a lot as an actor in terms of attending auditions and approaching various teams while looking out for opportunities.

I think the makers of Avrodh were looking for a South Indian character to play Imtiaz Ahmed in the web series. That's how the lookout for an artist to essay this particular character began. But eventually, it did not have anything to do with the South Indian character. It turned out to be something very different from where it started. But, I have a feeling that they got my profile somewhere there when they were searching for a South Indian face.

I think it was my luck to bag such a big project like Avrodh. I am sure there are many actors who have been waiting everyday for better opportunities. Everyone is working hard to get that 'break' in their career. Likewise, I was lucky enough to be a part of a web series like Avrodh season 2. I feel this was one of the first very big milestones in my acting career. I had a huge smile on my face when I got to know I was essaying the character Imtiaz Ahmed. And, I am still smiling and will continue to.

Oh! A lot of hard work has gone into the making of Imtiaz Ahmed. I worked out day and night to meet the needs of the character. It took me five long months before we could go on the floor for shooting to accomplish that look of Imtiaz Ahmed which you can see on-screen. Initially, we were supposed to begin shooting in the month of August, but, due to a few issues, it got postponed to September. So, I did get a little extra time to work on it the looks.

Honestly, I feel the makers were looking for an artist who has a lot of body mass. But, they froze a lanky man, that's me! Yet, they wanted me to work out and look an extra fit to meet the needs of the character Imtiaz Ahmed. I was out of my thoughts to meet that expectation. Also, the reference pictures I got from the team for the looks were literally next to impossible. The person in those reference pictures had biceps which is equivalent to thrice of what I have right now. But, nevertheless, I was up for the challenge and started to work out hard.

I love working out. Especially, if I have to work out to meet the expectations of a character, then, I am definitely in for it. I found it very challenging. I started a vigorous workout at the gym. I joined Kick-boxing, which did help me a lot. Then, I even found a personal trainer who literally helped me get that look that you see on Avrodh season 2. But now, I am back to being that lean and lanky little guy.

Definitely, it was a beautiful experience working for Avrodh season 2. I can go on and on while speaking about the work culture in Mumbai. Although I have worked only on Kannada and Hindi projects, I can say I had a better experience in terms of shooting. The culture there is very precise. From the chaiwala to the lightman, every crew member, they are all very professional. Everyone maintained timings and was on their feet to prep up the sets. They used to climb mountains early morning amidst the chill weather in Kashmir to put up the sets. Really hats off to everyone behind the making of Avrodh 2. It was very inspiring for me to see the work hand in hand.

All of us were enjoying the action sequences. We kept falling and getting up. That's about it. Our energy was at the next level while performing the action sequence. I feel the energy level increases when you are shooting an action sequence in Kashmir (he laughs). We even had an action director on the sets who made it even easier and more comfortable for all of us while shooting the action sequence.

I feel privileged to get this kind of space in my career. It was great to work with the finest actors like Neeraj Kabi, Abir Chatterjee, Mohan Agashe, Ananth Mahadevan, Krishna Hebbale, and many others. I consider myself an acting nerd and it was a wonderful experience to work with the finest actors in the Indian entertainment industry. I was a hawk on the sets of Avrodh 2 who used to observe the other actors and got to learn a lot from them.

I am overwhelmed with the response I am getting from our Kannada viewers. I am getting loads of praises for my work in a Hindi web series from Kannada viewers. This is a surreal feeling. Many Kannadigas are saying that they are proud to see 'Namma Huduga' growing well on other platforms. They congratulated me.

At the same time, I think, behind all of these comes new responsibility for me as 'Namma Huduga'. Right now, I feel everywhere I go, I am representing our language, or maybe the theatre or even the South Indian industry. This happens just like that even without my knowledge. And also, I have learned with such representations, bring in a whole new responsibility and I am extremely loving this phase.