Actor Sidharth Shukla tells Ayushi Sharma that he could relate, at a personal level, to his character of a complicated man stuck between love and everything that comes with it in Broken But Beautiful 3

The two instalments of the show Broken But Beautiful had smashed quite a few records and created a stir in the country for its alluring love story, unconventional story-telling and soulful songs. Actor Sidharth Shukla, who stepped into the world of the web series with the third season in the popular franchise, tells us that his character, Agastya, is a complicated man stuck between love and everything that comes with it. It is a character that he could relate to on a personal level.

“When I first read the script, I could relate to Agastya. There have been times when I have gone through similar situations or felt similarly emotional and, hence, I reflected on mine and performed. One of the main reasons I loved Agastya’s character is that he’s very real and very relatable. He isn’t perfect but I don’t think any of us are. He’s on a journey like many of us in our respective careers and fields, to accomplish his vision in life. I feel life is all about experiences. It’s those experiences that make you,” he shares.

Given that there have been several romance dramas written and filmed in the past, you always need something new that cannot be easily predicted or guessed. Ask him if he thinks his character has an angle that is something completely new to the audience? He says, “I think there is only so much when it comes to genres but it’s how the genre is treated, how the character is brought to life that brings newness. It’s not that we haven’t seen characters like Agaysta in real life or on-screen but what makes a difference is the way he’s being brought to you, which happens not only by an actor’s effort but also through the entire team that is visualising the project.”

He tells us that his research, for this one, was thinking about all the experiences he has had, which were similar to that of Agaysta, and feeling those emotions, and then bringing them to life. He feels that we have come a long way in portraying relations in cinema and OTT. “We are walking on a path towards more real content. We are no longer only aiming at the ‘fairy tale’ content or the ‘happily ever afters’.

Sidharth, known for his roles in fiction soaps such as Balika Vadhu and Dil Se Dil Tak, and reality shows such as Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6, Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi and Bigg Boss 13, agrees that OTT is the new thing now, but both small screen and the digital platform come with their share of challenges. “The whole world is hooked to web platforms. OTT consumption, especially since last year, has increased tremendously. People are consuming different things, and actors are willing to experiment more with content on the webspace,” he says and adds, “Both the mediums have their share of challenges. As actors, our job is to act in any medium. I strongly believe if the content is good, people will watch it, irrespective of the medium. I am truly excited about my digital debut and am looking forward to the audience’s response.”

It seems like the show is subtly and in a subliminal manner trying to highlight the importance of theatres. But he doesn’t think the show is trying to highlight the importance of any one medium. “Agastya as a character believes in the art form of entertainment and that’s what matters. Whether it’s theatre, cinema, OTT, we need to keep the art alive,” says Sidharth.

Directed by Priyanka Ghose and produced by Ekta Kapoor, the series features Sidharth along with Sonia Rathee, Ehan Bhat, Jahanvi Dhanrajgir, Manvir Singh, Taniya Kalra and Saloni Khanna in prominent roles. The show streams on ALTBalaji.