After doing 18 tv shows and being in the industry for 15 years, Gaurav Khanna during a recent interview with BT confessed that his role as Anuj in Anupama brought him the most love and appreciation.

Gaurav also talked about how good things come and go, but one needs to keep working and stay grounded. He said, “When I was chosen for Anupama, I was apprehensive because I was joining a show midway and I’ve always preferred to work in a show from the beginning. But since it was a talented ensemble cast, I agreed. I had no idea how Anuj would be received by audiences and did not know whether my character would come this far. It is my experience of working in this medium that helped me bag this role. Nobody becomes famous with their first show, even Leonardo DiCaprio had to work in many films before bagging an Oscar. I did several shows and just because they didn’t work, doesn’t mean that I wasn’t good or that the script wasn’t nice. I am not a trained actor but have learned things on my journey. Even now, I know the extent of my character for the next six or seven episodes, the rest depends on viewership, the producer, makers, and the script.

Talking about his character of Anuj in the show, Gaurav said, “The show is about hope. A woman who has been sidelined and subdued for 25 years suddenly finds hope in a man who is ready to give her the best! Today, I meet so many people who say that my son, brother, or husband is somewhat like Anuj. I am not in a position to comment whether he is too good to be true, but whatever you see of the character is organic and it has emerged because of people’s reactions over social media. One should believe that good people exist otherwise there would be no fairy tales. In the past, TV has seen male leads mostly being angry or action-oriented or following a set pattern, but here, I feel my character is quite relatable. Yes, he seems to be very patient, but after a long time, audiences have seen a mature, emotionally stable, well-read and well-spoken guy, who respects women.”

When asked if he shares similarities to his character Anuj in real life, he replied, “Yes, quite a bit. I come from a corporate background, I’m well-read, I’ve grown up around a lot of women in my family and I respect women. And just like in the show, how Anuj listens to his companion, I, too, listen to my wife Akanksha (Chamola) at home.”

When asked if he wants to explore other mediums, the actor said, “I’ve worked in 18 shows till date and I love the small screen. Today, whatever I am, is because of TV. I am a production-friendly guy and working for long hours doesn’t bother me because, at the end of the day, I am only thinking about my scenes and how to perform them well. I have not tried other stuff because I never had the time. I just focus on my work and move from one project to the other. I believe success is like a cycle and good things come and go, but one needs to stay grounded and work hard. I don’t plan my life, it could be a web show after some time or a film, I haven’t given it a serious thought.”