Actor Shagun Pandey who made his TV debut with Santoshi Maa is all set to star in the popular youth show Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya on Zing. Shagun will be seen essaying a pilot’s character in the show. Interestingly, Shagun has been a part of the show earlier and for him, it’s like going back to his comfort zone. Here’s what he has to share with all his fans. Excerpts:
Tell us about your role in PTKK?
I am playing the role of Sudesh Pillai, a South Indian guy who's a pilot. He is an explorer and has gone on a trek. Due to some mishaps, he had to book a house, and that’s where the actual story begins. If I had to describe my character in three words, I would say Sudesh is a chilled-out-guy, a charmer, and an explorer.
If I have to give a one-liner of the episode to all my fans and viewers, I would say that this is a love story which is full of compassion, sincerity and connection. There is a strong bond on a human level between the two characters when they fall in love with each other. I am sure viewers will love to watch it. The overall experience has been amazing. The set is happy and vibrant, and everyone is looking forward to our performance.
Since you are shooting in Jaipur, have you got the time to explore the city?
Since the shooting schedule has been quite tight and we are trying to finish the shoot in time, I have not got the opportunity to explore Jaipur. But I have heard a lot about the pink city. I am observing this vibrant city while travelling from one shoot location to another. People are very confident here. I hope I get the time to explore this beautiful city.
How did you bag the role in PTKK?
I have been a part of Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya on Zing since the very formative years of my career. I have played a village guy in Season 7, wherein I performed with Shivangi Joshi. Then I was also a part of Mirza Saheba story 2 years ago and now I’m back on the show and playing a pilot which is an upgrade in my character graph also. I like doing PTKK because it brings me out of my comfort zone. The show is episodic that portrays heart-touching love stories wherein I get to play different characters and explore my skills and new stories to perform.
What does love mean to you?
When two people are willing to be with each other and all the external factors like - society, people, caste system do not matter to them, that is love. They will fight all the problems and still figure out a way to be together in modern times like these and that is what love means to me.
Any relationship advice for the youth?
Infatuation is not love. When you are genuinely in love you will do all those little things together to make your partner feel special. A relationship is blooming when you are spending a lot of time together and when you are not with your partner you miss them a lot. There must be a lot of understanding and efforts to be put in a relationship to make it work.
Do you relate to your reel life character in real life?
Yes of course. I’m very adventurous in nature. I like going out and I like travelling. I’m very outdoorsy kind of a guy. The last time I had gone on a road trip from Chandigarh to Leh, Ladakh with my friends and it was a memorable one. I completely relate to my reel character from PTKK.
What is the one factor that helps you decide on taking up a role?
Before taking up any role, I always see to it that I get something new to perform and something that brings me out of my comfort zone. I want to become a performer rather than a star or a celebrity. So, whenever I get to perform, I put in my 100% which gives me a sense of accomplishment.
Since you have played a mix of grey, negative and now positive roles, which do you prefer the most and why?
I started off with positive and comic roles. I did explore and experiment with my characters. When I performed grey and negative characters, it was a fun process, because grey and negative characters give you scope to perform. The negative characters that I have played in the past have become really popular, so people think that I have done only these kinds of characters, but I have played positive characters also. Being an actor, I like to be flexible when it comes to genre and soon the viewers will get to see my upcoming character Sudesh in PTKK and they will like it.