18 July,2023 07:08 AM IST | Mumbai | Letty Mariam Abraham
Kushal Tandon
In 2018, Kushal Tandon stepped away from television to focus on digital entertainment. Almost six years and two web shows - Hum (2018) and Bebaakee (2020) - later, the actor is back on the small screen with Ektaa Kapoor's latest outing, Barsatein-Mausam Pyaar Ka.
The photogallery here
Tandon claims that the role is tailor-made for him. "Ektaa told me that she was writing a show keeping me in mind. My character is about 40 percent like the real me. In fact, I feel there is too much of Kushal in Reyansh Lamba [his character]. He is non-conformist, distrusts women, has a wall around him, and has no filter. As the CEO of a news agency, he is fearless and doesn't shy away from exposing scandals," says the actor. He believes that television doesn't have enough of male-centric stories, which makes Barsatein a rare offering. "Television shows [are usually] female-driven, but Barsatein is a male-oriented show; it's good to take up something like this in a medium that is dominated by women." Asked if he researched to play the part of a news agency head, Tandon says, "I did talk to some of my journalist friends, but the script was well-researched and so well-written that there was nothing left for me to research on." He is certain that his chemistry with Shivangi Joshi will click with the audience in this new-age romantic drama. "I met Shivangi for the first time through this show. She is good, hardworking, and professional."
Tandon, who has often played the boy-next-door roles, says that his true potential as an actor has never been explored. "I want to take up a show like Mirzapur that is raw and where I can utilise my Lucknowi dialect. I want to explore something that overpowers my looks. My acting has been camouflaged by my looks, but I won't let that happen anymore," shares the actor, who is dabbling in production and seeking interesting scripts.