He shot to fame with TV shows like Uttaran, Mahabharat and Surya Putra Karna. Now, 21-year-old Aayush Shah will be seen as the lead in the movie Pankh. He talks to SHAlINI SAKSENA about the film and his role in it
Tell us what A Daughter’s Tale: Pankh is all about and your character.
It is based on the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign. The film is set in Haryana. I play a spoilt brat Karan whose father and grandfather support everything he does.
Was it fun to play this roleIJ
It was a good experience to play this character since it has grey shades — how I change from being a negative to a positive person.
Were you a brat in real lifeIJ
I will not say that I was a brat. But my parents doted on me and pampered me. When I was offered this role, it was a bit easy. The tough part was to get the Haryanvi dialect right since I am from Gujarat. But senior artists in the movie really helped me in this regard.
How has the journey been — from TV to filmsIJ
I started my career as a child artist in the movie My Friend Ganesh 2, in 2008. I was studying too and had to concentrate on it. Then I did Uttaran. Next came other TV shows. In between, I did another movie life In Dark but it has not been released yet. The latest project is A Daughter’s Tale: Pankh.
What about the struggleIJ
I was very lucky and didn’t really have to go looking for work. Down the years, I have met some very nice people who have helped me. I kept getting shows and came in touch with people who gave me work, like Siddharth Kumar Tewary and Rahul Tewary of Swastik Productions Pvt ltd. I have done three shows for them. Then there is Rajan Shahi (Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai). When I get stuck somewhere, I call him up and take his advice.
The movie A Daughter’s Tale: Pankh carries a good message. How far will it go to deliver thisIJ
India has a vast audience; some like comedy, some action and still others issued-based movies. I am sure Pankh too will find an audience. While I was shooting in Haryana, I found the sex ratio to be skewed — more boys than girls. So I asked the men: ‘Would you be here, if it was not for your motherIJ’ I told them about the glory Geeta Phogat brought us and she is a girl. When we are born, it is our mother who teaches us the basics of life and not our father.
What lesson did you learn from Rahul RoyIJ
He is a great person and a fine mentor. He told me that I am still very young and need to tread with care. He told me never to take up a project just for the sake of it and in a hurry — take up selected work, he advised.
Which medium do you like — TV or filmsIJ
I don’t think that any one medium is easy. They are just too different. In TV, one has to shoot for long hours. Also, TV has a wider reach and an actor gains fandom easily. In films, it is a bit relaxed and one gets more time to prepare for the character one is playing. It’s nice to do films but TV will always be my love since it has got me where I am today.
Do you think that actors like you have a slot in the industryIJ
I would not agree. The minute an actor slots himself, he is not going to grow. If I think I have a level, I am finished. The effort should be to give one’s best and recognition will come automatically. For my TV shows, I get a lot of fan mail from countries like Indonesia and Armenia where shows like Navya, Mahabharat and Surya Putra Karna were aired and became super hits.