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Amar
Upadhy -- Nothing succeeds like success
His the
darling of the household, an intelligient, kind-hearted and
understanding son in the no 1 running soap Kyonki Saans Bhi
Kabhi Bahu Thi on Star Plus. He is Amar Upadhyeay, the face
which launched many a products on television, before he made
his appearance as the light-hearted, bubbly Sahil Chachu on
Dekh Bhai Dekh.
“I
was in my final year of engineering when I did my first ad,”
says Amar, who is a Chemical Engineer, from the Bombay Institute
of Technology(BIT). Like others, his family too wanted Amar
to go abroad for further studies. But destiny had something
else in store for him. “I started getting a lot of commercials
and the glamour and money drew me towards it,” says the
good looking actor.
In the
year ’92 when the StarDust Academy launched a contest
for fresh talent Amar won out of 80,000 contestants. Among
girls, Sonali Bendre was the winner. But the industry wasn’t
a cakewalk for Amar. He did a few serials after Dekh Bhai...,
but his work wasn’t noticed and all the things that he
had expectd, didn’t come his way.
But he
believed that hard work never goes unrewarded. “I remember
Amitabh Bachchan telling us during our sessions with stars
that if you work hard and have patience, there is nothing
that you can’t achieve,” Amar recalls. He took the
Big B’s words seriously and today after nine years has
emerged as one of the most wanted boys on television.
In ’95,
he was offered a role in Aarzoo produced by ABCL. Though his
role was good, it didn’t get him the desired results.
Then he did a serial called Suhana Safar which again didn’t
do much for him.
He, however,
got an opportunity to act in a movie. “I got an offer
from Satish Shah for his film Dhoondte Reh Jaoge. The film
took two years in the making, but it was never released. I
lost two precious years in that movie and I realised that
television would be a better option,” recalls Amar.
It was
a strange phase in his life. His family was upset and they
wanted him to return to his studies, but Amar was not in a
state to do that. “I knew, whatever I do will have to
be connected to the industry, I simply couldn’t leave
it,” he talks about the decision which he took, at a
time, when the industry wasn’t very favourable to him.
He started
afresh. Romesh Sharma was making Tulsi for DD 1 and he offered
Amar a good role. The serial became popular and then onwards
life took a turn for the better. He met Ekta Kapoor who was
making Kanyadaan for Sony. She offered him a role, but after
a few episodes were shot, the channel rejected him. “It
was a major disappointment. I was depressed for a few days.
Initially, I thought it was Ekta who rejected me. But later
I came to know that it was the channel’s idea. Anyway,
things happen for the better always. The day I went to collect
my cheque for Kanyadaan I heard Ekta shouting with joy because
Kyonki ... had been approoved by Star Plus. I auditioned for
the role of Mihir,” and the rest as they say is history.
Amar
expected Kyonki... to fetch him a good response, but the popularity
he attained was like God-sent to him. “I remember Ekta
telling me that I was to play Ram in the serial. I immediately
had the picture of Arun Govil before me ,” he says with
a smile. “You see when somebody says Ram, the only figure
that appears before your eyes is that of Arun Govil, because
he really looked what he portrayed. I blended a bit of modernism
with the shrewd but kind character of Ram and I played my
part.”
Amar,
who is not as calm and organised as Mihir, in real life, is
thrilled by the success of Kyonki... and the fame it has fetched
him. Right now he is doing seven serials and another five
are in the pipeline.
Among
them Kyonki..., Kalash and Mehendi Tere Naam Ki, are the ones
which are the most popular and he is playing the lead roles
in all of them.
But this
is not all. “I still have a long way to go,” says
Amar. “Films are my final destination and I am ready
for it,” he says confidently. He has got a few good offers,
which he is considering right now. “Ekta too has something
for me in her film,” he adds.
His next
serial to be on air form Jan 2001 is called Kahin Deep Jale
Kahin Dil produced by Nirja Guleri. Amar is very excited about
it. “It is a nice, bubbly character that I am playing,”
he informs.
Another
serial by Farah Khan with Amar is to start soon on Sony. “I
have no hang-ups. So what if Sony rejected me at that time?
They are accepting me now and I am ready to work with them,”
he says. “I have worked hard to be here and I want to
sustain all that I have right now, maybe achieve even more,”
he says. “I always prayed to God, that he give me so
much work that I do not have time for myself.” His prayers
have been answeres and how!
Lopamudra Bhattacharya
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