Karan Singh Grover on COVID-19: My diagnosis hit Bipasha more than me

Karan Singh Grover

Despite the short stint on Qubool Hai, Karan Singh Grover had made an impact as Asad Ahmed Khan. Almost nine years later, the actor has found his way back into the universe of the love story as he headlines Qubool Hai 2.0, a spin-off of the Zee drama. "It is a difficult role because the character is the antithesis of my own personality," he begins. "Asad is exactly like he was; only that he is not an architect, but a world shooting champion. Zoya's character and family have been altered. The world around them has changed, but viewers will see them meeting for the first time and falling in love."

With the series graduating from television to an OTT platform, come changes in its format of storytelling. Ask him how different is the web world, and he says, "I am enjoying this space as much as I enjoyed TV. The story and the character are important for me. Here, there is less stress regarding TRPs. We know the plot, and shoot it at a stretch till we reach the finish line. It is a better way to perform and write."

A still from Qubool Hai 2.0

Shooting for the Zee5 series was not all roses for the actor - on wrapping up the last leg of shooting in Serbia in early January, he tested positive for COVID-19. "We were shooting in zero degrees, and in a particular scene, I was not wearing a jacket. So, I was down with fever for a day. Two days later when we were to go back home, the unit had to do the mandatory testing before flying out. When the test results came, I was diagnosed with the virus. I didn't show any symptoms except that I had lost my sense of smell for three days. So, I had to stay back till January 9."

As he fought the infection, the news took an emotional toll on his wife, actor Bipasha Basu. "Bipasha was devastated; she is strong, but she gets scared when it comes to the health of her loved ones. Often, she doesn't take care of herself, but wants to make sure everyone around her is okay. So, my diagnosis hit her worse than me," he remembers.

If the pandemic had brought the world to a standstill last year, it also made us reassess our life decisions and priorities. For Grover, a significant fallout of the pandemic was leaving Kasautii Zindagii Kay 2, a show that saw him take centrestage as Mr Bajaj. The actor decided against shooting in the new normal when the unit of the Ekta Kapoor show resumed work. "I didn't want to go [on a set] and expose my loved ones to a virus that has affected the world so badly. So, I have not done a lot of work because of the current scenario. You have to work for a living, but you can't do it at the cost of risking your family. I loved the character, the story and of course, Ekta, but we must prioritise our wants."