Exclusive: It's not about playing a hero or villain; performance is everything to me: Dev aka Shaurya Shashank Umbre

He might be one of the happening baddies on Kannada television, but the fact that Shaurya Shashank Umbre always enjoyed essaying the role of a villain can never be ignored. The actor, who is currently enjoying fame as 'Inspector Dev' in the daily soap 'Hitler Kalyana', seems to be winning the hearts of the viewers with his amazing performance in the show. ETimes TV got in touch with the actor to talk more about his on-screen character and much more...

I was very excited about Hitler Kalyana. I play the role of a cop in the show. Yes! Yet again a baddie. I am definitely not one of those good cops in the show. Although I am a married person here, my character is more of a playboy. I will be having the mannerism of the cop but then at the same time, I misuse the power I have as a cop in the show.

I have prepared myself in terms of my looks as of now. I have undergone a drastic makeover for this role. Have experimented with quite some looks too. But then right now, I have chopped my curly hair and got a new hairdo. I am keen on trying out a stylish version of a cop in this show.

There is not much of a difference between the previous characters I played. It is almost similar. Surya was more of a playboy, who maintained discipline in front of his family members. Dev's character is also relatable only in this aspect. He is very innocent in front of his wife and other family members. But the actual side of him is revealed only when he is away from the family members or when he is on duty as a cop.

Dev, as a cop, knows the law very well. Hence, he is pretty smart in covering up his ill deeds. He knows the art of handling all sorts of ill deeds. That's how the character has been portrayed. There are different shades that I can portray with Dev's character. For example, Dev is a different person when it comes to family. Then there is again a changeover in his characteristics when he is a cop. Likewise, Dev's attitude changes when the male protagonist is there. So, there is scope to showcase my acting prowess through this character.

Everyone has their own struggles in their career. Likewise, I have also had my struggles. Frankly speaking, I still consider myself as a struggling or budding artist. Sometimes, you need to consider the decisions of the makers as well. They will be looking out for a particular face to meet the needs of a particular character. We need to respect them as well. So, it all needs to fall in a single place.

For me, if I get opportunities, I get them back to back. Else, there are times when I have nothing in my kitty. I guess it's all got to do with the timings. You just need to wait for the perfect time and opportunity to knock on your career door. Of course, luck also plays an important role as well. But in the end, it lies on an individual to take a call. Decision-making also plays an important role.

For me, it's all about performance. It's not about playing the role of a hero or a villain. As an artist, I am hungry to take up good characters. And personally, I like playing negative characters because I feel it has a good scope for acting. I feel I can extend my limits and go heights in terms of my performance in such kinds of characters.