Anupamaa EXCLUSIVE: Gaurav Sharma on playing Toshu; 'I was sold within one minute of meeting'
Gaurav Sharma who entered Anupamaa as the new Paritosh Shah talks about bagging the show, his character, inputs from co-actors, and more.
![Gaurav Sharma (PC: Gaurav's Instagram) Gaurav Sharma](https://www.pinkvilla.com/images/2024-05/113831122_gaurav-sharma-1280-1.jpg)
Anupamaa recently witnessed a major change as actor Ashish Mehrotra walked out of the show as Toshu. The decision seems mutual between the makers and the actor as he quit the show on a good note.
Overnight, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai fame Gaurav Sharma was roped in to play the role. The actor has received acceptance from the viewers and is getting the love from the ardent fans. In an exclusive chat with Pinkvilla, Gaurav spoke about taking up Anupamaa, apprehension about replacing an actor, and more.
Gaurav Sharma on taking up Anupamaa
Recalling how he signed the show, Gaurav Sharma said, "The other day, I got a call from Mr.Rajan Shahi and he called me for a meeting. I thought it would be regarding my character of Yuvraj in Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. However, it turned out to be a brand new offer to play Toshu in Anupamaa. Within one minute of my meeting with the makers, I was sold and accepted the offer. The show is a massive hit among the fans and I am sure that I'll get good exposure with the same."
Take a look at Gaurav Sharma's post from the sets of Anupamaa:
Gaurav Sharma on whether he was apprehensive about replacing an actor
When asked if he was skeptical about taking up the show, Gaurav said, "Not at all. I had other things on my mind and my character in the show checked all the boxes that I was looking for. I like to take up characters that allow me time to balance my work in digital projects. This fits my pre-requisites quite nicely and I didn't have any apprehensions, not even for a moment."
He added, "Also, Toshu has this image of being a spoilt brat and a person who messes up everything. It goes quite well with my on-screen image so far (laughs). Thus, it wasn't a problem catching the pulse of the character."
Gaurav Sharma on receiving co-actors' help
"Since I had to start shooting the next day I signed the contract, I didn't get the time to learn much about the character. When I reached the sets, my co-actors Rupali Ganguly Ma'am and Nidhi Shah were quite cooperative and gave me inputs about how Toshu is shown in the show. Those inputs were very helpful in getting the nerve and tone of the character. Even the directors and crew members were helpful. It is a wonderful team and I'm loving it here on the sets."
Gaurav Sharma on playing the bad boy onscreen
Sharma has played meaty roles, mostly negative in many TV shows like Diya Aur Baati Hum and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai among others. We asked him if his bad boy image affected him in real life, and he said, "Not at all! I'm not an actor who carries the baggage of the reel-life characters to my personal life. The moment the Director says 'cut', I am out of that zone. I am only the character between action and cut."
He added, "If at all, a very heavy scene affects me, I make efforts to unwind as soon as possible by meeting my friends or doing something fun. Baaki saari bhadhaas mey onscreen hi nikal deta hu (laughs). I do so much of drama onscreen, nothing is left for real life (laughs)."
After quitting Anupamaa, Ashish Mehrotra, the former Toshu signed Khatron ke Khiladi 14.
Stay tuned to this space for more updates.
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