Bhavesh Balchandani and Harshita Ojha could give older professionals a run for money with their acting chops in Ek Veer Ki Ardaas–Veera. P Sharma met them in Amritsar recently, where they were shooting a sequence for the TV series
Those who tune into Star Plus, will have followed a feature about a pair of siblings, Ranvijay and Veera. The cast of the series called Ek Veer ki Ardaas–Veera, were in Amritsar recently, where one of the episode plays out. They visited the Golden Temple, and later shot at a resort on the outskirts. We were part of the excursion and later caught up with Bhavesh Balchandani and Harshit Ojha who appear as the brother and sister. They are not professional actors, but nevertheless manage to be favourites with many. The TRP rating has been positive too.
The story so far on Veera, is that Ranvijay is on a journey to get his father Sampoorna Singh back in his life. On the way, he is abducted by a family who promise help and later located by his mother and sister. The family visits Golden Temple to pay their respects.
On the set we noticed six-year-old actress Harshita Ojha playing Bubble 2 on her Tab. She also enjoys using a DlSR camera. After posing for us, she grabbed our camera and asked curiously about its function. Harshita was four when she was chosen for the show. Nobody teaches her acting.
“They just make me rehearse my dialogue four times, and ask me to be myself.”
Asked if she wants to grow up to be an actress, she responded, “I hope to be a doctor, because they are helpful.” She likes Katrina Kaif and Kareena Kapoor and watches Doraemon. She also loved Amritsar’s parandis (braids) and wanted one in every colour. She manages schoolwork between shooting. “I attend school in the morning and complete homework on the sets. It is difficult to manage during exams, but I am trying to cope.”
Bhavesh and her share a sibling chemistry and are at ease with each other in real life too, playing games together. “In the beginning we fought. But not anymore.”
“Harshita talks a lot and asks about everything,” said 12-year-old Bhavesh, who is crazy about Salman Khan. He learnt acting watching Khan on TV. Or so he told us.
“I have never met Salman in person at the Golden Petal Awards last year,” he grinned.
Bhavesh recently acted in Ek Thi Daayan, where he plays Emraan Hashmi’s son.
He likes to read, and in preparation for the role, went over Goosebumps–a series of horror fiction.
Nobody treats Bhavesh like a celebrity in school. He likes it that way. “I’m like any other kid. No special preferences. My friends help with notes. They often ask what might come next in the serial, but I never tell,” he gushed. He has not decided whether he will be an actor when he’s older.