Telly heartthrob Arjun Bijlani pairs up with Alisha Panwar for a new show Ishq Mein Marjawan that guarantees suspense. By Angela Paljor
From matured love stories, to love by chance to amorous triangles and misfit romancing, we have seen different shades of the most universal emotion on the small screen. But to bring a twist, Colors is coming up with a new show Ishq Mein Marjawan – professedly a different love story shrouded with betrayal, revenge and layered with suspense. That’s what caught the attention of telly heartthrob Arjun Bijlani who immediately said yes to this project.
“I play Deep Raichand who is a rich and shrewd businessman and owns a tea estate. It is a very different love story where Deep’s selfless love makes him take revenge from Aarohi, played by Alisha Panwar. It will be interesting to see how their trust breaks and what happens after that. It’s not a lovey-dovey story where the couple fall for each other, have a nice courtship period, surpass all the hurdles and get married and live happily ever after. The story is about what love makes you do when we are so deeply in it,” Bijlani says, who was last seen in Naagin and Pardes Mein Hai Mera Dil.
The show will go on air from September 20 at 7:30 pm and will replace the long-running Sasural Simar Ka. Bijlani, who has always played a typical good boy on shows like Remix, left Right left, Miley Jab Hum Tum and Teri Meri love Stories, will be seen in a different avatar. “There are different layers of my character that make it very different from my other roles. He is charming, intimidating, but his action will make you think what is he doingIJ That is what makes it intriguing. He is very manipulative at times and whatever he desires, he knows how to get it. Having said that, he is also a die-hard romantic and knows how to woo a woman,” the actor explains.
Alisha Panwar, who was last seen in Thapki Pyar Ki and Jamai Raja, feels that very few showmakers experiment and make an out-and-out love thriller. The storyline is so appealing, she feels, that nobody would have said no to it. Talking about her role, Panwar says, “To get a chance to portray such a strong woman is difficult in today’s time. Coming from a middle class family, Aarohi is very graceful and simple girl-next-door who believes in herself and has confidence. Her idea of love is like a faily-tale story where a Prince Charming will come and propose marriage for a happy ending. Her wish does come true when she meets Deep Raichand. The axis spins on how they fall in love with each other, how many other elements like faith, trust, obsession are woven into it, how situations complicate their relationship and test their love and trust.... This is a love story with a real twist.”
To be on the same page, both Bijlani and Panwar went through a series of workshops to strike a right chord. “This show is different and it required a lot of preparation to get into the skin of the character. One scene would have different takes and could be done in 10 different ways. Through the workshops, we achieved what we are trying to show. It is a little complicated show, but if you show it correctly, people will really hook on to it,” argues Bijlani.
The acting bug bit Panwar ever since she was a kid and she has worked towards her dream to get her ticket out of a small town. “When I was a kid, I used to enact a lot of actors and wanted to become like them. Hailing from a small town in Shimla, there was less scope to pursue acting but my deepest desire propelled me and I kept attending theatre and acting workshops. After giving back to back auditions, I bagged my first show Begusarai on &TV and shifted my base to Mumbai. Since then there was no looking back. I started treating my profession as my God. I don’t think I will ever want to leave it. The artist gives birth to a character every time he/she does a new show. In one lifetime, actors live so many lives. That’s what makes me love my work,” Panwar says, adding that one should keep trying and if you are capable, you will definitely get the best.
Bijlani enjoys entertaining people by living different roles on the small screen. “I want to act throughout my lifetime. I like to do roles which are inspiring and make a difference in people’s lives. I have done non-fiction shows like Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa as well but if you analyse reality shows, they look more or less the same. The dance show gave me an opportunity to live my passion for dancing. But it is only by playing different characters that you grow as an actor. like this role, which is poles apart from my real life. I took the risk to do something out-of-the-box and it will definitely get me out of my comfort zone,” he says.
Having done a lot of shows with commendable ratings, Bijlani is now eyeing Bollywood. “I am waiting for the right script. As compared to films, TV is little stressful because you work long hours. But films give you focus.”
Photo: Pankaj Kumar
