Sikander Kher made quite the impression as Daulat in season one of the popular series Aarya. In season two, which premiered in December last year, Sikander reprises his role and has once again delivered a good performance. Before the show went on air, Sikander says the mood was different. “We were quite nervous because the first season was loved and appreciated so much, we didn’t want to disappoint the audiences. We wanted to live up to their expectations. So we are happy with the reviews,” says the actor. Sikander’s character, Daulat, is Aarya’s (played by Sushmita Sen) trusted aide. It’s always Daulat who helps her find a direction and new vision.
After season one, the actor reunited with Sushmita and says it’s been a pleasure to shoot with her. “Working with Sushmita is always easy. She is relaxed and that’s the biggest compliment to any actor. Season two was great because we had already worked together. With her and Ram (Madhvani, creator and director of the show) it was like working with family,” offers the actor. Off-camera, Sikander is quite different from his on-screen persona. Unlike Daulat who stays quite calm in the toughest of situations, the actor says he gets quite worked up when things don’t work out.
Talking about how different he is from Daulat, Sikander says, “I am not killing people in real life (laughs). Daulat has made mistakes, I too have made mistakes. But I am trying to get to his level because Daulat is extremely calm under pressure. Only when you are calm under pressure can you make the right decisions.” Sikander has come a long way since he debuted with Woodstock Villa in 2008. Although the movie received a lukewarm response, the actor was appreciated for his screen presence. His most recent outing was Sooryavanshi, and Sikander says his journey so far has been a great learning process. “As an actor, I am always learning from everything I do. I am constantly figuring out how I can bring something new to the characters I play,” he says. Next, Sikander will be making his international debut with Dev Patel’s directorial The Monkey Man in which he plays a pivotal role. He will also be seen in the Netflix original film Monica O My Darling, alongside Rajkummar Rao and Radhika Apte.
Aarya is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar
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