I work for creative satisfaction, not money says actor Shakti Arora

Equipped with a dual degree in Travel and Tourism and Commerce from N.M. College,  Mumbai based Shakti Arora is the  grandson of veteran actor Chandrashekhar, a known face of his time. In the past he has acted in shows like Dill Mill Gayye, Left Right Left, Tere Liye, Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo, Sanskaar Laxmi, Pavitra Rishta, Yeh Hai Aashiqui and others. He has also appeared on reality shows and hosted two shows during the span of his career. Meri Aashiqui Tumse Hi is his latest upcoming show on Colors where he plays the male lead opposite Radhika Madan.

In an exclusive interaction with Shakti Arora, television actor, we asked him about his experience in the television industry, his preferences as an actor and much more.

Despite his Bollywood background being an actor was never easy for Shakti Arora. “Post my graduation, I wished to own a travel agency before I made my debut in acting. I’ve struggled a lot in my career. I have done small roles and parallel leads. I have experienced almost all the phases an actor undergoes although I haven’t been in the industry for long.  I have gone through lots of ups and downs,” he shared.

An actor of the yesteryears his grandfather is a known face in Bollywood. On asking Arora if it helped him climb the ladder in this competitive industry, he explained, “My grandfather, a self made man, earned a name for himself in the Bollywood industry. He has seen loads of success and carved his own path and I am proud of this fact. I never took his support and chose my own path and I think I’ve made it although still working on it. No one makes you a hero, it’s you who have to prove your talent. ”

As a kid Arora has mingled with actors, interacted with them and has also taken their autographs. “I used to like actors such as Amitabh Bachchan, Subhash Ghai, Amrish Puri, Dilip Kumar and others because I always liked their personality and aura,” he reminisces.

Apart from acting, he has also hosted a show called Gyaan Guru and is presently hosting Zee Q’s Science with Braincafe.

Further talking about his early days and the roles he preferred to play as an actor, Arora said, “I went to Kishore Namit acting classes to learn acting and at that time I was very young  and an introvert child. To be an actor you need experience, which I learned by giving auditions. Till date I’ve been offered many roles but I am a choosy actor. I don’t work for money but for creative satisfaction. If I am not satisfied with my role I don’t do it because that is of utmost importance for me.”

Meri Aashiqui Tum Se Hi is his third show with Balaji Telefims, but this time it’s in a lead appearance. Elaborating further on this he said, “I’ve done loads of shows with Balaji Telefilms. Yes it’s my third show but this time the production house has launched me in the lead role and it’s a proud moment for me. I consider Balaji Telefilms as family since they’ve seen me growing in the industry and I on my part have seen the production house growing.”

Arora a passionate actor opines that both the television and film industry have grown today and they both go hand in hand. “Today for promoting films you need television and apart from that the budget for any television show is not small, they almost match a film budget. Films last for a few hours but television shows last for years, hence getting work in the television industry is a difficult task,” he avers.

Arora tried his hand in films as well, but was not content with the roles offered to him. Presently he is focusing on his show Meri Aashiqui Tum Se Hi where he is playing the character of Ranveer, who comes from a humble background and often finds himself caught between loyalty and love. 

According to him to be a good actor two things i.e. positivity and connectivity with your audience matters the most. Ending the conversation he said, “My fans have supported me through thick and thin and I just want them to be there for me and support me.”  [By: Ranjana Gupta| Twitter: @RGrightsreserve]

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