A famous surname makes life easier: Nishad Vaidya

Jamnagar's Nishad Vaidya on his struggle in Tellytown, his Gujarati connect and more in an interview with TOI

Jamnagar's Nishad Vaidya is now making his presence felt on the tube. Nishad who's done a small role in Pyaar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyara Pyara and debuted in a Bollywood film Kismet, Love, Paisa, Dilli. Currently he is essaying the lead role in Amita Ka Amit.

Life in Mumbai proved to be different for Nishad and he has learnt it the hard way. He says, "I moved to Mumbai with my family after Class X. My dad always wanted me to be a part of the entertainment industry, so he made sure I went to Mumbai. The day I reached Mumbai railway station, I was amazed to see the crowd and knew I had a lot of struggle ahead before I found a toehold in the industry," he says.

Being an outsider is difficult and Nishad had his share of struggle. He says, "A famous surname makes life easier. If you have a father who is a director/producer then he will keep casting you in his projects. Whenever I went for auditions I saw good-looking youngsters and I felt I'd not get any work. When I went to audition for my new show, I thought I'd play a character role. I was asked me to give a look test for Amit and got lucky!" he smiles.

Nishad has worked a lot to make himself suitable for the role. "I had to lose 8-9 kilos for this role. Like film actors, television actors are also working hard to make their character look real. Viewers are watching us everyday, so it is important to look real," he says.

With many youngsters from Gujarat trying to make it big in the television industry one wonders what attracts showmakers to rope in youngsters from the state? "Today most shows depict a Gujarati backdrop. After Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, people from across the globe are more aware and receptive towards soaps that showcase Gujarati culture. Besides, if a show is set in Gujarat, it makes sense for a director to rope in an actor from Gujarat as they don't have to work on their accent or body language and can fit the role with ease," he says.