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Why was Rajan Shahi asked not to cast Gaurav Khanna as Anuj Kapadia in Anupamaa? EXCLUSIVE VIDEO
Pinkvilla exclusively spoke to Gaurav Khanna recently, and during our conversation, the actor revealed an unknown fact about his casting in Anupamaa. He shared that the producer was initially told not to cast him.
Celebrity MasterChef winner Gaurav Khanna continues to ride high on success after his recent victory in the cooking reality show. Prior to this, Gaurav was lovingly known as Anuj Kapadia, having won hearts with his performance in Anupamaa. His character was often referred to as a "green flag," and fans still miss him as Anuj.
In a conversation with Pinkvilla, Gaurav disclosed a shocking truth — the Anupamaa producer was advised not to cast him as Anuj.
While speaking exclusively to Pinkvilla, Gaurav Khanna reminisced about sharing screen space with Sudhanshu Pandey and Rupali Ganguly. He mentioned how he wanted to impress both himself and Rajan Shahi through his acting prowess in Anupamaa. He then revealed that Rajan Shahi was told to cast bigger names from the industry instead of him.
He said, "I wanted to prove to myself that I can do it. Secondly, I wanted to prove it to Rajan (Rajan Shahi) sir because he had faith in me. Many people told him, 'Why are you taking him? Take someone else; there are bigger, better names. Your show is so big.' Many people said this to him."
Watch Gaurav Khanna exclusive interview with Pinkvilla here-
When asked whether these remarks came from co-actors or members of the production team, Gaurav shared that he chose to ignore such comments, as his motto is to keep moving forward in life. The actor further said, "Rajan sir was the only person who insisted on casting me as Anuj. So my aim was to show gratitude to my producer for his faith. I gave my 200%."
Gaurav recalled messaging Rajan Sir at midnight to discuss the presentation of his character. He shared how he personally decided everything for his role — from clothes to sunglasses to coats. Gaurav revealed that he even used his own personal belongings for the portrayal of Anuj.
The actor praised the Anupamaa producer for supporting his creative decisions. Gaurav disclosed that Rajan Shahi instructed his team to allow Gaurav full freedom in shaping his character.
Further, the Celebrity MasterChef winner said, "Rajan sir says in every interview, 'This boy has given his life to the show.' So I was very happy when he was happy. Then the audience gave me love, and I am here because of it."
For the uninitiated, Gaurav Khanna’s track in Anupamaa concluded in 2024.
