Spreading wings of success

Sehban Azim, who shot to fame with the hit series ‘Dill Mill Gayye’ is back on the small screen as Kabir Katyal in the show ‘Thapki Pyaar Ki’, which airs on Colors.

Excerpts
How thrilling is it to play the role of Kabir?

If you get a character to masquerade you add lot of things on your own. So there are many things, which I added to Kabir’s character because audience has seen my previous shows and they are familiar with those roles. Kabir is a mixture of all my characters from my previous shows.

What is your take on doing a cameo or second lead in your shows?
Kabir is neither a cameo nor a second lead. It’s a parallel lead. I’m not doing cameo post ‘Ek Hazaron Mein…’ because it’s a difficult task to get into show for some time and make your own mark and then exit from the show. It makes you even sadder. For me this is the permanent thing.

Do you think you are still to reach the pinnacle of success?
Firstly, I’m an actor. Once I get into the skin of any role I need to give my best. That’s all I think about. If success has to happen, it will come eventually. I don’t promote myself. I don’t have a PR too. I’m not a guy who wants to be famous but I want to be acknowledged as a good actor. So there is a difference between a star and an actor. I feel if I do good roles, people will like me and if I don’t then they won’t appreciate it.

As an actor how much did you grow?
From every show I learned something. As an actor learning is a never ending process. Not only I any other actor would say the same. You notice everything and preserve it if you like and when time comes you put it in a role. What all I learnt in the past I will apply that in the next show. One should keep working and keep learning.

Is acting your childhood passion?
That’s a strange story. I have always been a shy guy. I think still I’m. Once the director says “action” shyness completely goes away. I’m a different man altogether. As a kid, I wanted to become an actor but I never believed in myself. I always had a question in my mind “Would I able to do it?”

I spoke to my elder brother and told him that I wanted to become an actor and he laughed at me and said, ‘You are too shy to be an actor. One has to be daring and confident’. I didn’t say anything at that moment as I was too young. But I kept thinking about it while growing up. I did not pursue acting too.

I did my graduation in computer science and started working after the course. After working for a couple of years, I realised that it’s not my cup of tea. The first thing that came to my mind was acting, which was pending for the longest time.

Then I started working on my diction, vocabulary, and physique and did modelling, followed it up with short films and then television happened. Thankfully God has been kind and I’m getting good work.

When you don’t get work, how do you deal with it?
After ‘Dill Mill Gayye’, there was a phase where I didn’t get much work. Thankfully, now I have plenty of work. If I don’t feel like working then I don’t take up any show as I have options now. When you feel you don’t have good work all one has to do is relax and work on yourself. Stay positive and be strong enough and be ready.

You are controversy’s favourite child. How do you manage?
I’m habituated to it (laughs). I just laugh at it and don’t think about it. That’s what I do. I have been part of so many controversies and link ups for a while now. What can one do about it? I am an actor and people want to know about me. People make stories and that is one of the reasons for shows like ‘Bigg Boss’ to become a hit. The audience watches it because they want to see such things. Viewers like it and it is entertainment for them.