In this new episode of Baatein Ankahee Season 2, Ankit Gupta opens up on his initial days in Mumbai, leaving his house at 17 and then working at call centers, getting his first break, three years’ struggle before lockdown, equation with Priyanka Chahar Choudhary, and on Junooniyat’s sudden end. Check it out!
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00:00 Dare to dream and all things become possible and my guest is an example of that.
00:07 Welcome to Baatein Kahin with the very brave and popular Ankit Gupta.
00:13 Ankit, welcome to Pinkvilla once again.
00:16 Thank you so much.
00:19 Ankit, you've come back to the city after three years.
00:23 Almost three years.
00:24 Almost three years.
00:25 How does it feel?
00:26 Honestly, I can't even decide because I came to Bombay and then I went to Goa and then
00:33 I came back yesterday only.
00:35 So I haven't really been into the city.
00:41 But in such a short time, I'm seeing a lot of changes.
00:47 And for me, suddenly I see a lot of people which I never saw in Chhattigarh except on
00:53 my set.
00:54 There I used to see around 120-150 people.
00:57 Here in Chandigarh, I didn't see so many people.
01:00 Suddenly after coming to Bombay, I just look out of the window and I see so many people.
01:08 So yeah, I'll take some time again to adjust.
01:13 That's the madness of the city.
01:14 But I think you catch up very quickly.
01:17 I think the best part about Bombay is if it is for you, then it makes you its own.
01:25 You remember the first time you came to the city, what was the dream in your eyes?
01:29 Yes, I remember.
01:31 I think I came here in 2011 or 2012.
01:37 So that time I used to work in concentrates.
01:39 So always I had a dream to go to Bombay and act.
01:44 So I used to model in Delhi and I was working in concentrates also.
01:49 But then if you want to act, Bombay is the place.
01:53 So I thought let's go to Bombay.
01:56 And I came to Bombay with a job.
02:00 I was here for almost one and a half months.
02:04 And that was the first time in my entire life that I felt homesick.
02:08 I could not adjust in Bombay.
02:11 That was the first time I actually cried.
02:15 I was in my room and I cried.
02:17 What am I doing?
02:18 I did not spend my money in Bombay.
02:21 And within one and a half months I went back.
02:23 My brother got married.
02:24 I got an excuse to go.
02:25 And then I thought that maybe I will not stay in Bombay.
02:31 But every two to three months I will visit and meet people.
02:34 I will see what auditions are happening.
02:37 So I went back.
02:39 And I did not want to come back.
02:42 23rd December 2012, I guess, that was the date, I came to Bombay again for one week.
02:51 The same day I gave an audition for Balika Vadhu, which happened.
02:57 And then I stayed back.
02:58 Then Bombay didn't let me go.
03:00 How are those days, months like?
03:04 I don't know.
03:05 But I thought I will do a job and I will do a job at night and then I will give my audition
03:12 in the day.
03:13 So it will be sorted.
03:14 Everything will be very easy.
03:16 But I came here.
03:17 I was like, first of all, I did not get any time after the job.
03:22 The little time I got, it went in traffic.
03:26 And then I got homesick also.
03:30 And I just wanted to run away.
03:33 So I told my friends, I am not able to do it.
03:35 I am going back.
03:36 And probably I won't come back.
03:39 But somebody told me once that if this city is for you, he will call you.
03:44 That's so true.
03:45 Yeah, that's so true.
03:46 And you came back.
03:47 I came back.
03:48 Balika Vadhu.
03:49 But, you know, I know you don't like to call your struggle, face struggle.
03:52 I know you like to use the word 'mehnat' which is which is so on point also.
03:56 But, you know, I also believe that your fans should know the kind of efforts you put in
04:00 all these years to be what you are today, which is why the next question, Ankit, that
04:05 did you feel at any point in time that, you know, that this this city is very, very tough
04:11 to make it?
04:12 And did you feel I might never make it?
04:14 Yeah, of course.
04:15 First of all, when I came here and I was looking for houses, I came from Noida.
04:25 The living standards in Bombay are very high.
04:29 The rent for a house at that time was 20-25 thousand for one BHK.
04:34 I mean, it's too much now.
04:36 But at that time, 20-25 thousand for one BHK was like, what?
04:40 And that too, a small one BHK.
04:42 Like what?
04:43 This is my entire salary for the month.
04:46 I thought, this is not possible.
04:50 It's very difficult.
04:53 And plus, traveling was very expensive.
05:00 And I remember there was a time when I started shooting for Balaika Vadhu.
05:04 We didn't have that much money.
05:06 We used to get 4000 rupees in Balaika Vadhu.
05:09 We used to shoot for four or five days a month.
05:12 So I thought, let's start traveling by bus and save some money.
05:18 So I was sitting in the bus, going home.
05:22 And I recognized somebody.
05:24 He said, "Oh, you come to Balaika Vadhu, right?"
05:26 And I was like, "Shit, now we can't sit in the bus."
05:30 But it's a good feeling.
05:32 At that time, it was a little embarrassing that I'm sitting in the bus.
05:36 Because I was a 23-24 year old kid.
05:39 Now I understand, you have to travel in an auto or bus.
05:44 Whatever convenience for you, do that.
05:46 You've matured so much in life that we don't do anything for anybody else.
05:52 We do everything for ourselves, for our comfort.
05:54 I have comfort in an auto, I will go in an auto.
05:56 What does anyone think, what doesn't, how does it matter?
05:59 So at that time, I felt that we can't go by bus.
06:03 And there have been times when I used to leave auditions because traveling didn't have money.
06:08 So, then in 2013, my life changed a little when I started doing Sarda Haq.
06:16 After that, Sarda Haq became a rage among teenagers.
06:21 So, I got a lot of trouble from that show.
06:24 And life came on track a little.
06:26 Then Sarda Haq ended.
06:27 After that, there were a few ups and downs.
06:29 All the other shows, although they didn't work.
06:33 But I think I always made good choices.
06:38 I always did characters that were satisfying for me.
06:43 Sure, did you always want to be an actor?
06:45 I always wanted to be an actor.
06:47 Since childhood?
06:48 I was in 8th standard.
06:49 That time I decided I wanted to be an actor.
06:52 Because like every child, I think, whatever movie you've seen, whatever character you've seen, you want to become like that.
06:59 So, I saw the Shahenshah movie, and I wanted to become like Amit sir.
07:04 I wanted to travel for 3-4 days.
07:06 I wanted to travel like someone else.
07:09 So, sometimes I wanted to become a doctor.
07:11 Sometimes I wanted to become a pilot.
07:15 Then in 8th standard, I did a fashion show.
07:18 Okay.
07:19 And overnight I became popular in my school.
07:24 Wow.
07:25 I said, "This is a very good job.
07:27 There's nothing to do, just walk.
07:29 And you become popular and people love you."
07:32 I said, "Okay, model is fine."
07:35 Then when I grew up, I understood that models,
07:38 that career is not that easy.
07:41 So, I thought, actor.
07:43 But I pursued modeling because that time a lot of models were turning into actors.
07:51 Melin Soman, Dino Mauryan.
07:53 So, I thought that modeling is the easiest step to get into acting.
07:58 So, why not start with modeling?
08:00 Did your family agree?
08:02 My family didn't agree.
08:04 My father and my mother, they wanted me to get into NDA.
08:09 So, I got a form filled.
08:14 I said, "Yeah."
08:16 Seriously? NDA?
08:18 How will I do it?
08:20 I had to do it under peer pressure.
08:23 I took an exam.
08:25 Okay.
08:26 But I was so sure that I will do it.
08:30 I didn't do anything.
08:32 I tore my roll number and threw it out of the bus.
08:36 And after 10-15 days, a month later, my father asked me,
08:41 "Where is your roll number? The result is checking."
08:44 I said, "I tore it and threw it.
08:46 Who remembers roll numbers?"
08:48 I don't know if it was ever cleared or not.
08:51 Because I could never check it.
08:53 Oh God! The mystery of your life.
08:55 Crazy.
08:56 Crazy.
08:57 So, I told my parents, "I want to become an actor.
09:00 I want to go to Mumbai."
09:02 Like every lower middle class family,
09:05 you get a job, you secure your life.
09:08 I said, "No, I can't do it for myself."
09:11 So, I said, "Okay, then you don't support me.
09:15 I'll do whatever I want to do."
09:17 So, on the 15th day when I left my house,
09:19 I went to Noida.
09:20 Started working in Paul Sanchez.
09:22 In the beginning, I didn't even get a salary in two jobs.
09:25 I was just thrown out of the company.
09:28 For nothing.
09:29 Maybe I was not performing.
09:31 But, in two jobs, this happened.
09:35 Then my mother called me and she was like,
09:38 "If nothing is happening, then you come home.
09:42 You do something here."
09:44 I said, "No, I can't do it now."
09:46 Then I took another job.
09:48 That's the first time I got my salary, 10,000 rupees.
09:52 I felt like I'm on the top of the world.
09:55 I had never seen so much money in my life.
09:58 I didn't know how to spend 10,000 rupees.
10:00 Then that happened.
10:02 I started working in Paul Sanchez.
10:05 Two and a half years later, I realized why I came.
10:08 Because I was getting paid.
10:09 I was used to money.
10:10 Two and a half years later, I thought,
10:12 I came for acting.
10:14 I came to do something with money.
10:17 Then I thought, now is the time I should take a job in Bombay.
10:21 Or maybe I start getting into modeling.
10:25 So, that's the first time I got my folio done.
10:28 How did you get the money for that?
10:30 I was working.
10:32 So, you had saved that much.
10:33 Yes, I had saved that much.
10:34 So, I uploaded that folio on ibibo.com.
10:39 There was a site earlier, ibibo.com.
10:41 There was a contest every month.
10:45 IBBOYHUNK.
10:46 So, I won that contest.
10:48 Then I got a contract with Elite Modeling Agency for three years.
10:52 I started working with them.
10:54 I did a lot of projects with them.
10:56 I did a lot of ads.
10:58 I did a lot of hoarding shoots.
11:01 Then I thought, now that I'm done with modeling,
11:05 now I should go to Bombay.
11:07 So, I came to Bombay.
11:08 I didn't like it.
11:09 I went back.
11:10 I came back again.
11:11 So, I stayed here.
11:13 But Ankit, when a 17-year-old boy has to leave his home,
11:18 how difficult was it?
11:20 It was difficult at that time.
11:22 I didn't feel anything like that because I hadn't thought of it.
11:26 Do you get angry?
11:27 A person may get angry with his family at that time
11:30 that you don't support him.
11:32 Maybe at that time you get angry with yourself.
11:34 No, I wasn't angry.
11:35 Actually, I was excited that there would be a new city,
11:37 new people, new job, money,
11:42 I would become self-independent.
11:44 And after that, I never took money from my family.
11:48 So, it was a different feeling that I would do something myself.
11:53 What did you do with the 10,000 rupees you earned earlier?
11:56 I gave 3000 rupees as rent.
11:59 And I bought a sari for my mom for 1500 rupees.
12:05 The rest was my own expense.
12:08 When an actor comes to Bombay,
12:12 his first prerequisite is to network.
12:15 Go, meet people, talk, have parties,
12:17 sometimes you have to hang unnecessarily.
12:20 You are anti-social.
12:21 You don't like to meet so many people on a regular basis
12:24 except your own circle.
12:26 Was that a difficult thing?
12:27 It was very difficult for me.
12:29 It is still difficult for me.
12:31 I mean, what I feel now,
12:35 now I am understanding that networking can help.
12:38 But my first thought process was that I can audition for you.
12:42 You look, you audition, you work.
12:45 You like it, you give me work.
12:46 Otherwise, I can't come and say,
12:48 "Hello sir, I am an actor, give me work" or something like that.
12:54 So, whatever I was told, I used to go to every audition.
12:58 I used to go to 6-7 auditions a day.
13:00 There was a time when I used to pack my bag and leave early in the morning
13:04 and I used to audition all day and enter the house at night.
13:07 I can do that.
13:09 But it was very difficult for me.
13:11 Firstly, I am an introvert coming from a small city.
13:18 I didn't know English that well.
13:21 I studied in a government school, so I didn't have confidence.
13:25 But I knew that I wanted to become an actor.
13:27 I didn't know if I could act or not.
13:30 Initially, I used to imitate people's acting.
13:34 Now I am understanding how a character is built,
13:38 how an acting graph is made, how voice modulation is done.
13:41 Now I am understanding all of that.
13:43 But I didn't know anything at that time.
13:45 So, it was so difficult.
13:46 And many times I didn't understand.
13:48 You go to an audition and they say you are not fit.
13:50 I said, "Not fit? Why?"
13:52 Did they give you reasons?
13:54 No one gives me any reason.
13:56 I still don't go to parties and meet people.
13:59 But whatever I meet through work or through friends,
14:05 it becomes a relationship.
14:10 I will not say that I will make a relationship with them for work.
14:14 But I like it now.
14:16 I meet new people, get to know their life journey.
14:19 How did they do whatever they did in their life.
14:24 I get some inspiration.
14:26 That's why now I love to talk to people.
14:29 Was it easy to take rejections?
14:31 Yes.
14:32 Initially, when I came to Bombay,
14:36 I was in a lower middle class city.
14:39 Everyone used to look at me and say,
14:41 "You are so good looking."
14:43 I thought, "I am the one."
14:45 I came to Bombay and picked up my bag.
14:47 When I came here, I saw,
14:49 tall, 6'1", 6'2", fair guys, muscular.
14:55 Looking at them, I felt,
14:57 "I have been lied to since childhood."
15:01 "This is good looking."
15:03 I used to feel a little more confident.
15:07 But there was a lot of competition.
15:09 Yes.
15:10 I always believe that struggle never ends.
15:12 There is a different struggle at every stage.
15:14 In fact, let me ask you this.
15:16 I think Bale Ka Vadhu was 2012 for you.
15:19 Yes.
15:20 And Sadda Haq was 2014 for you.
15:22 Yes.
15:23 There must be a gap between the two shows.
15:25 Yes.
15:26 That gap is a little scary.
15:28 You did your first show.
15:30 That gap was so scary.
15:32 In 2012, when Bale Ka Vadhu was done,
15:34 I didn't know how to act at all.
15:36 I didn't know anything.
15:38 And plus, I had all the big actors with me.
15:42 Anoop Soni ji, Satyajit ji.
15:45 Surekha Sikri ji.
15:47 At that time, I didn't even pay attention to my acting.
15:50 I just used to speak without fumbling the lines.
15:53 Every time I used to go,
15:55 I used to pray, "I have to come on the live show today."
15:57 "I have to stand behind the camera."
15:59 "I have to come on the live show today."
16:01 Because I couldn't act.
16:03 And the director was very strict with me.
16:06 I couldn't understand him.
16:08 He didn't even take my shots.
16:11 In the morning, he used to put my master with everyone.
16:14 He used to take everyone's closes.
16:16 My show used to close at 8.30-9.00 am.
16:18 He used to take his assistants.
16:20 So, in that show, my confidence
16:24 went down completely.
16:27 Clearly.
16:29 And at that time, I thought,
16:31 "I can't act. I'll quit."
16:33 "I'll do some ads, some job work."
16:36 "And it'll be fine. Whatever it is, it'll be done with a little modeling."
16:42 So,
16:44 I didn't want to act.
16:46 That's why there was a gap of two years.
16:48 Because I did not want to act.
16:50 I only wanted to do
16:52 modeling or ads.
16:54 Because of what I saw
16:57 on that set.
16:59 So, after that,
17:01 my two-three big ads became very famous.
17:06 And then I got a call from the production house,
17:09 "We're making a show for Channel B."
17:12 "It's a youth-based show."
17:14 "Do you want to audition for it?"
17:16 I didn't know how to act.
17:19 I said, "I'll audition for it."
17:22 "But don't expect too much from me."
17:25 He said, "Come."
17:27 I auditioned. And luckily, it was done.
17:30 And then, Param was in that show.
17:33 Harshita was there.
17:35 My track started after two months.
17:37 I was the first one to get selected for that particular thing.
17:40 And Param and Harshita's track started.
17:43 My track started after three months.
17:45 So, I used to watch them.
17:47 "They're doing really well."
17:49 "They're doing really well."
17:51 So, I learned acting from them.
17:53 And when I went on set,
17:55 they were so good.
17:57 I was like, "Yes, they can do this."
18:00 So, I used to copy a little bit.
18:02 From here and there.
18:04 I did whatever I saw.
18:06 And then I understood that
18:08 acting is not a big deal.
18:10 And then that show became such a big hit.
18:13 That was the first time I actually got recognition as an actor.
18:19 So, I got a lot of confidence from that.
18:22 I thought, "Now I'll do it."
18:24 Why did you choose call center for your work?
18:27 Because I was in 12th.
18:29 I finished my 12th. I was 17.
18:31 I was in my college, first year.
18:35 I did not want to go to college.
18:37 I didn't have a job in 12th.
18:39 There was a time when I went to McDonald's also.
18:41 But I was rejected because I was underage.
18:44 Call center was the only place where
18:47 you didn't need a degree.
18:49 Because at that time, it was booming.
18:51 You just needed people who could work.
18:54 So, they didn't care about age.
18:57 They didn't care about education.
19:00 You can speak to people,
19:02 you can handle people on call.
19:04 You can just come.
19:06 But sometimes when we try new things,
19:08 or go to new places,
19:10 people around us take advantage of it.
19:12 When you came to Bombay,
19:14 did this happen? People showed you wrong paths?
19:16 Casting couches are extremely popular in our business.
19:19 Did all of that happen?
19:21 Casting couches, of course.
19:23 I think every actor in Bombay has gone through this.
19:27 As such, I didn't find anyone who took advantage of it.
19:32 Because when I came here,
19:34 I knew a few people.
19:36 They really helped me.
19:38 You knew people?
19:40 I had a couple of friends staying here.
19:42 I came and I stayed with them.
19:44 When the Balika thing happened,
19:46 I stayed with them only.
19:48 I stayed with them for a very long time.
19:51 Plus, I got term.
19:53 I think I have been so lucky
19:55 that I always found
19:59 such good people in my life.
20:01 My landlord in Bombay,
20:05 he was such a nice person.
20:07 I stayed in that house for almost 8 years.
20:10 And when lockdown happened,
20:12 I was not working full-time for 3 years.
20:16 Because that phase came and lockdown happened.
20:19 I had no money.
20:21 I couldn't ask anything from my family.
20:23 That guy, during the lockdown,
20:27 he did not even ask for a single rupee.
20:30 For 10 months, I did not pay him at all.
20:34 And then, right after lockdown,
20:37 I had to leave the house because my building went into redevelopment.
20:40 So, he said, "It's okay, I understand.
20:43 It's alright. When you have money, give me."
20:46 How amazing is that?
20:48 I have always found wonderful people in my life.
20:51 Yeah. That is amazing.
20:53 That is actually so amazing.
20:55 You had a struggle of 3 years during lockdown?
20:58 Before lockdown.
21:00 In 2018, I think I did my last show.
21:02 And I wasn't working till...
21:04 I did a couple of web shows.
21:06 But, you know, the transition, again,
21:09 it is always difficult making transition from TV to web.
21:13 I did a couple of shows.
21:15 Good shows.
21:16 But, you know, then you go to a different stream,
21:19 they treat you as a newcomer.
21:21 You did OTT.
21:22 Yeah. So, that happened.
21:24 And 2021...
21:26 It's not that I didn't get a job.
21:28 During that 3 years,
21:30 I signed 6 shows.
21:32 2 web shows.
21:34 I signed 1 film. I went for a shooting.
21:36 And nothing started.
21:38 Nothing at all took off.
21:40 Because of the lockdown?
21:42 Not because of lockdown.
21:44 Sometimes, the show gets cancelled.
21:46 I went to Arachi for a film.
21:48 I stayed there for a week.
21:50 They said, "The shoot will start tomorrow, sir.
21:52 The director will come tomorrow, the meeting will start the day after."
21:54 It was a week.
21:56 After that, the production guy came to me in the morning and said,
21:59 "Sir, there's a problem."
22:01 I said, "What? The film is cancelled?"
22:03 He said, "Yes."
22:04 You were expecting that?
22:05 No. But, there's a problem.
22:07 The shooting is not starting.
22:08 And I've been seeing this pattern for the last 3 years.
22:11 So, I had this feeling.
22:13 Now, he'll say the same thing.
22:15 The film is cancelled.
22:16 He said, "Sir, the producer ran away."
22:19 How heartbreaking is this?
22:21 How do you fathom?
22:23 You're on the set.
22:24 You're getting ready.
22:25 You're ready for a shot.
22:26 And somebody comes and says, "Go home. The shooting is not happening."
22:28 Yeah, it happened to me a lot of times.
22:30 See, when the lockdown was imposed,
22:32 in March, 2020,
22:34 March 17, 2020
22:36 and March 18, 2020,
22:38 the film city was locked down.
22:40 Yes.
22:41 March 18, 2020.
22:43 That morning,
22:45 I woke up in the morning.
22:46 I got ready.
22:47 That was the first day of my shoot.
22:49 I was going for a shoot.
22:51 There was a show called
22:53 "Meri Guddi" on Star Bharat.
22:55 And I was supposed to do that.
22:57 March 18, I got ready in the morning.
22:59 I was just leaving for the shoot.
23:02 I got a call.
23:03 "Sir, don't come now. The film city is locked down."
23:06 And during lockdown, the show was shut.
23:11 So, this happened with me.
23:13 In 3 years, I'm telling you,
23:15 I signed 6 shows.
23:18 The track that was supposed to come, didn't come.
23:21 The storyline changed in some shows.
23:23 In some shows,
23:25 they had to take a leap, but they didn't.
23:27 After signing,
23:30 I went to a shoot and came back.
23:33 How did you keep yourself motivated?
23:35 Yeah, I always believe
23:37 that you will get what is meant for you.
23:39 Whatever is not meant for you,
23:41 no matter how hard you try.
23:43 But, Ankit, it's easy to say today.
23:45 How will a person deal with this at that time?
23:47 I think I've always been this calm person.
23:49 Of course, I feel bad.
23:51 But then I say, "It's okay."
23:53 Maybe he had bigger plans for me.
23:55 You should not ask for anything
23:57 from the universe.
23:59 Or from the God. You should not ask.
24:01 Maybe I want this today.
24:03 I say, "I want this."
24:04 Maybe he has a bigger plan for me.
24:06 He wants to give me that.
24:08 So, if you're okay to settle on this,
24:11 he will say, "Okay, take it.
24:13 What's it to me? I've thought a lot for you."
24:15 I say, "If you can't wait, then it's okay."
24:17 Not an amazing thing to say.
24:19 That makes sense. It does.
24:21 You mentioned casting couch.
24:23 Did it happen with you?
24:25 Oh!
24:27 I've met
24:29 such people
24:31 that I can't
24:33 even tell you.
24:35 There have been people, they call you to their office
24:37 and they tell you
24:39 a lot of stories.
24:41 They take a lot of names.
24:43 What did I launch? This happened. That happened.
24:45 And to convince you, they say anything.
24:47 Everybody does it.
24:49 Ankit, everybody does it.
24:51 You want to work in this industry?
24:53 This is how it's done.
24:55 You won't do it now. You'll come back in 2-3 years
24:57 and then you'll tell me to do it now.
24:59 Then I won't do it.
25:01 Thank you.
25:03 You're going to waste your 2-3 years.
25:05 Think about it. Do it now.
25:07 And then start working.
25:09 I said, "No, I can't do it."
25:11 I mean, if I don't do it,
25:13 I won't feel like doing it.
25:15 So, I've met
25:17 such people, they just
25:19 I don't know if I should say this on camera or not
25:23 but they just go down
25:25 on their knees and they will tell you
25:27 at least just let me touch you.
25:29 Just let me touch you.
25:31 That's it. Nothing.
25:33 But this is very rampant in our business.
25:35 Even today, what to do about this?
25:37 There's no shortcut in life.
25:39 Hmm.
25:41 Maybe if you do this
25:43 and it is for all the actors
25:45 or not just
25:47 the actors, I think it's
25:49 compromise
25:51 it's everywhere.
25:53 It's in every industry.
25:55 Corporate, I've worked in corporate. I've seen there.
25:57 It is a lot more there.
25:59 But because
26:01 this industry is in limelight
26:03 the entertainment industry. That's why
26:05 the things here come out. The things outside don't come out.
26:07 But it is everywhere
26:09 and I always say that
26:11 there's no shortcut. If it is meant for you, it will happen.
26:13 Just have that faith.
26:15 Maybe you will feel a little
26:17 bad for 2-3 years.
26:19 There will be a difficult phase.
26:21 But it is to make you stronger and to make
26:23 you realize, now I understand
26:25 this. That difficult time is to
26:27 make you realize when you become something
26:29 how should you behave
26:31 with people. Yeah.
26:33 That makes sense. Yeah.
26:35 Maybe if I
26:37 get everything in first attempt, I will
26:39 take everybody for granted. Yeah.
26:41 Maybe my parents
26:43 have a lot of money.
26:45 I would have been an
26:47 alcoholic. I would have been
26:49 drinking all the time. Because what
26:51 difference does it make to me? Yeah.
26:53 Makes sense. But it's wrong.
26:55 So, wherever it is happening, it should stop.
26:57 Why are you so
26:59 anti-social?
27:01 Because I like my home. I like
27:03 my own space. There were
27:05 very few people I can
27:07 connect with. And you know
27:09 I am sure
27:11 almost everybody knows
27:13 that there is a vibe.
27:15 When I talk to someone, I get that vibe.
27:17 I can talk to him.
27:19 There are so many people
27:21 with whom I get such a bad vibe.
27:23 They have done nothing wrong
27:25 to me. Nothing at all. But I can't
27:27 even say hi to them. You can't
27:29 connect. I can't connect.
27:31 I can't even say hi.
27:33 I can't force myself
27:35 to be just nice to
27:37 somebody.
27:39 Just for the social thing.
27:41 It's very difficult. And it shows on my face.
27:43 If I don't like somebody, it shows
27:45 on my face. Yeah. Last time
27:47 Priyanka was on this seat, she said
27:49 Ankit,
27:51 you were not expressive earlier. Now you
27:53 are opening up. Yeah.
27:55 I take time.
27:57 I connect with people.
27:59 And then
28:01 as a person,
28:03 you change a little. Earlier
28:05 I used to feel that
28:07 if I do not have anybody in my life,
28:09 it's okay.
28:11 But now I am realizing
28:13 if you have somebody in your life,
28:15 if you have your friends with you,
28:17 life becomes easier.
28:19 And that I realized
28:21 it took me
28:23 a lot of time.
28:25 But thankfully I realized that.
28:27 And I will say this to everyone
28:29 that maybe
28:31 just have couple of people in your life
28:33 but have somebody
28:35 who can you trust blindly.
28:37 And I have been so fortunate in this matter.
28:39 So fortunate. I always
28:41 say this. I have got so much of
28:43 love. I have found such
28:45 wonderful people in my life.
28:47 And I say that I don't know
28:49 what I have done for this love
28:51 in my life. Because I don't think
28:53 I have ever...
28:55 I was very rude.
28:57 If I don't
28:59 like something, I will say like
29:01 I won't sugarcoat it.
29:03 I will be like, you don't know it.
29:05 Shit, cut him.
29:07 But I have
29:09 I don't know what I did
29:11 for this love. I have no idea.
29:13 You deserve every bit of it. And there has to be
29:15 a reason behind why you are getting it. So I am sure you deserve it.
29:17 Maybe. I don't know.
29:19 Did Priyanka make you realize that
29:21 you need good people around you?
29:23 She made me realize
29:25 that it is okay
29:27 to be expressive. It is okay
29:29 to open up to people.
29:31 Not everybody here to make fun of you
29:33 or to take advantage of you.
29:35 There are people who
29:37 want you
29:39 in their life unconditionally.
29:41 So when you get that,
29:43 when you get that kind of people,
29:45 I think you should just
29:47 express and that's how
29:49 your bond becomes stronger.
29:51 Yeah. Does these rumors
29:53 impact you or your equation with her
29:55 about your dating? No, we laugh
29:57 at it. We read and we laugh
29:59 at it. And it still goes on.
30:01 Yeah. It still goes on.
30:03 I was googling you for the research
30:05 and I saw so many articles still there.
30:07 I know. It happens every day.
30:09 We read it yesterday
30:11 after that
30:13 birthday thing.
30:15 So people were laughing at it.
30:17 And I tell you,
30:19 a lot of portals are like that.
30:21 They've written that
30:23 Ankit celebrates his birthday
30:25 with his girlfriend Priyanka.
30:27 But why would you say that?
30:29 Have you got any confirmation from us?
30:31 Or have we given
30:33 any statement like that? You can't just
30:35 assume. You can say
30:37 rumor girlfriend or you can say
30:39 good friend or you can say best
30:41 buddy. But you can't say
30:43 best friend or you can't say best friend.
30:45 Correct. But then does
30:47 sometimes this impacts
30:49 the, in my body as a journalist
30:51 I always say that sometimes if you
30:53 use these words lightly it can impact
30:55 two people's relationship.
30:57 Of course it can. Maybe
30:59 there's nothing like that.
31:01 Maybe there is but
31:03 they don't want to show it.
31:05 Makes sense.
31:07 I see. I think
31:09 this is what happens. Two people's relationship
31:11 whoever it is, be it a friend
31:13 or a girlfriend, boyfriend
31:15 husband wife, two people's relationship
31:17 is always bad because of the third person.
31:19 So that's why
31:21 we never allow any third person
31:23 to come in between us.
31:25 Anyway, in a celebrity's life there are a lot of third people.
31:27 A lot. They come in abundance.
31:29 Absolutely. So what's happening next?
31:31 Yeah, I always
31:33 try, whatever my next project is
31:35 it should be very different from the last one, at least.
31:37 So whatever the character
31:39 should be very different. If you see my graph
31:41 my first
31:43 Sarda Haq was a college student
31:45 and second I did Begusarai
31:47 which was a very grey
31:49 character. He was
31:51 a womanizer and only
31:53 listens to his mother.
31:55 Then I did
31:57 Kuch Rang Pyar Gaya Se Bhi
31:59 in which there was a simple
32:01 very
32:03 cute, happy-go-lucky type
32:05 boy. Then I did
32:07 Kundli Bhaag Gaya. In that
32:09 I was proper negative.
32:11 So I always try,
32:13 illegal I did, I was
32:15 playing MCP.
32:17 So I always try
32:19 that my new role should be
32:21 at least very different from the old one.
32:23 Then that's how you
32:25 see the change. Otherwise
32:27 usually on TV, what happens is
32:29 same, same, same characters.
32:31 So it is so difficult to figure out
32:33 what happens next and then people say
32:35 that he does the same.
32:37 Now I want to do something
32:39 which will
32:41 make my canvas a little bigger.
32:43 My
32:45 variation, my
32:47 graph should go a little higher.
32:49 Some powerful role.
32:51 I saw in the interview that you want to play Aladin,
32:53 you want to play Shiva
32:55 and you want to play James Bond.
32:57 Yeah, I'll
32:59 You won't believe, when I got to know
33:01 that now they are casting for James Bond,
33:03 I tried to search everybody on Instagram.
33:05 I tried to search producers, I tried to search
33:07 casting directors and unfortunately
33:09 I did not find anyone on Instagram.
33:11 Otherwise I would have messaged them.
33:13 But you should keep trying, why not?
33:15 You will get it if you try.
33:17 Yeah, I think I would be a
33:19 very good James Bond.
33:21 By this interview also, I am hoping now your fans will be
33:23 bombarding the casting director
33:25 of this film.
33:27 Did you have a sudden
33:29 abrupt end effect?
33:31 I think
33:33 a little bit.
33:35 But
33:37 Channel is the boss.
33:39 The only
33:41 sad part about this
33:43 show is not shutting
33:45 off because it's not doing well.
33:47 Show is doing well.
33:49 Last week it was number 2 show on
33:51 Girlas and I am sure this week,
33:53 last week's TRB, it's going to be more than that.
33:55 We had maximum
33:57 time spent on entire channel.
33:59 We had 20 plus minutes
34:01 time spent. No
34:03 other show has it. It got
34:05 shut off because of the
34:07 there has been a lot
34:09 of changes in the channel.
34:11 So I think
34:13 every
34:15 person, every team
34:17 they come with a different mindset.
34:19 Maybe they are looking at something else.
34:21 Maybe they want to take
34:23 this channel
34:25 into some other direction.
34:27 So that's why it happened.
34:29 Upsetting?
34:31 It was upsetting.
34:33 But you know, I get
34:35 intuitions, I get signs.
34:37 2 weeks before the show
34:39 I was getting a call
34:41 of who? Movers and Packers.
34:43 Oh!
34:45 So in the last 3 years
34:47 since I am in Chandigarh, I have never got a call
34:49 from Movers and Packers.
34:51 Suddenly out of the blue I get this call from Movers and Packers.
34:53 And I was talking to my director
34:55 that sir, there is a call from Movers and Packers.
34:57 Is something happening?
34:59 He said, no, no, nothing is happening.
35:01 You are thinking too much.
35:03 I said, I am not thinking.
35:05 Suddenly, the first thought came to my mind
35:07 why is Movers and Packers calling?
35:09 Then after 2-3 days
35:11 we shot a promo where
35:13 I fill Elai's 'Mang Mang'
35:15 and we get married and all.
35:17 As soon as he came, I said, sir, at least tell me now.
35:19 Either it's a leap or
35:21 the show is getting cancelled.
35:23 He said, no, no, wait for 2 days.
35:25 Then everything will be clear.
35:27 2-3 days later Sargun came
35:29 and she said,
35:31 it's happening.
35:33 Thank you so much Ankit. I had a great conversation.
35:35 I hope you had a good time too.
35:37 Thank you so much for opening up.
35:39 Thank you.
35:41 [BLANK_AUDIO]