Himanshu Soni is Buddha - TOI

Who will play Buddha? That was the big question, but the TV show makers managed to keep this under wraps so far. Now, they are ready to unveil the face of Buddha with a royal launch in Sarnath (the holy place in Varanasi) today, because Buddha had a deep connect with the place.

TOI has found out that it's a young aspiring actor from Jaipur, Himanshu Soni, who has been chosen to essay the character. And he has gone through his fair share of training, grooming sessions and has also attended a 10-day vipassana programme to get under the skin of the character.

Says producer Dr BK Modi, chairman of Spice Studio, "We auditioned scores of actors, both seasoned and newcomers, but Himanshu fit the character's description like a glove. Out of the 32 characteristics of Buddha, Himanshu met 28. His down-to-earth and likable personality was key for the character's successful portrayal. We put him through training for martial arts, Tai Chi, dialogue delivery and acting to mould him into Prince Siddharth's character and he's come out polished, shining like a prince."

Himanshu is naturally excited and looking forward to his debut on TV. "It is an honour to play a character as significant and important as Buddha. I have undergone rigorous training which made it easier for me to understand the body language and depth of the character and persona of Prince Siddharth as well as his journey to becoming Buddha."
Buddha airs every Sunday at 11 am.