'I was offered to replace Gaurav Chanana

Balaji's Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki made Sasha a household name, and now it's time for the new entrant, Nikhil Mehra aka Deepak Bajaj to make a roaring impact! This commerce graduate MMK College, Mumbai aspired to pursue MBA overseas but had never even dreamt that he would land up acting! But no regrets, he loves every moment of it! Prashant Golecha chats up with this handsome hunk. Excerpts….

First MBA and now acting…How did it happen?
I was jogging at a park where Shristhi Behl spotted me and inquired with me whether I was an actor or am open to acting. That's how I got my first break in her production, Rose Audiovisuals, where I did a cameo in Jeet (Star Plus). I was their discovery! After which I did three episodic stories in Balaji's Kya Kahein on Zoom, and then Kahaani...happened. I have also done a cameo in Kassamh Se (Zee), have shot for a few episodes of Karmik Connection and last week I played a cameo of a rock star in Kaisa Yeh Pyar Hai. So, you can say I have become a Balaji product as I keep doing cameos in their shows (laughs).

Tell us more about Nikhil in Kahaani…
I play Nikhil Mehra, an out and out negative character, who hates his father because he knows about his dark secrets. He is all the time scheming against Parvati (Sakshi Tanwar). There have been instances where villains have turned to positive characters, so as far as my track goes, let's wait and watch! I'm happy with the terrific response I have got. Initially I did face the pressure of performance but not anymore. The atmosphere on the sets is amazing. One learns a lot from the senior actors. Daisy Irani is the funniest co-stars around, who keeps us in splits.

After Mohnish Behl (who played your father), how is it working with Anoop Soni?
Though Mohnish was my papa on screen, off-screen we were friends. He spells class and I miss him. After Anoop's entry we too have bonded well, to the extent that we even go out for plays and movies together.

How is it like working with a senior actor, Saakshi Tanwar?

Saakshi is a very co-operative and appreciative in real life. Though on-screen I am supposed to hate her, but off-screen I am friendly with her. By chance we were both in Dubai two months back. She was there for a Pakistani show and I was there for a fashion show. My first shot in Kahaani…was with her and she made me very comfortable. She is a gem!

So how has the response been? Any uncanny incidents?
Wherever I go people recognize me as Nikhil Mehra. Middle aged women give me dirty looks for troubling Parvati (laughs), but I take it as a compliment. I am into modeling and in cities like Ahmedabad I get offers for ramp shows because of my popularity in Kahaani…. I also get a better price there than what I get in Bombay. I have modeled for Appy Fizz, Ever Youth Skin Products and Nokia phones.

What do you do when not on sets?
I regularly go out for short weekend holidays to places like Khandala, Lonavala and Alibaugh. My favourite international destination is Bangkok. I love its sea stretches, and above all it's a shopper's paradise.

Any upcoming projects?
Right now I am happy doing Balaji shows. I want to polish my acting skills and as per my plans, get into films by 2007. Recently, I was offered to replace Gaurav Chanana in Rishton Ki Dorr. Initially I considered it but later dropped the idea, as I don't want to be anyone's replacement at this stage of my career. I have no contract with Balaji, so if offered a good project with a good role and good money, I will surely grab it. By the way, I'm also into buying and selling of imported cars, which is a good source of income and also fulfills my passion for cars