Sikandar Kher spoke to mid-day.com about playing Daulat in Aarya, a show that he calls his first true success of his career
Sikandar Kher in Aarya
Sikandar Kher, son of actress Kirron Kher and Anupam Kher returned to 'Aarya' with his loyal character of Daulat.The web series that saw the release of its third season last week on Disney+Hotstar has Sushmita Sen in the lead.”I think that Ram Madhvani had something special in the very beginning. Initially, he was going to be making a movie and that did not work out and then it came to this and how the world functions in such beautiful ways. I think eventually this is what destiny had planned and people loved it and gave it so much love. I think the way the writers and Ram and his world and his creativity and a bunch of actors and unit came together. Usually, when I do something I am always in disbelief because my focus is constantly on the next thing. It is always very overwhelming when people like it and you can feel it when people really like it,” the actor told mid-day.com while talking about how the show manages to engage the audience even after three seasons.
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Sikandar plays Daulat in Ram Madhvani’s crime thriller series ‘Aarya’. He is the right hand of Aarya’s father Zorawar. Reflecting on his journey playing Daulat, the actor shares, “If I was offered any other role, I would still choose Daulat. There was something about this character that drew me to him. His silence, his love for Aarya, his social strata that is so different from the family he works for, the moral dilemma he goes through because he is loyal a he has a lot of integrity and maybe he was repaying the debt to Zorawar by doing this. In the end of season 1, you realise that he gives up Zorawar. Ram Madhvani was making it and for an actor that is so special. It was pretty much a no-brainer."
Kher made his acting debut in 2008 with Hansal Mehta’s 'Woodstock Villa'. The film failed to work well at the box office. While his subsequent projects failed to work well, lately the actor has been seen in interesting projects. “Aarya was honestly the first true success I had in my career. When something does well, it has an impact on everybody. Look at the impact it has had on Sushmita Sen. It’s kismat. No one knows what will happen tomorrow so I am just grateful that something clicked. I do not keep expectations from anything because I have had many years of disappointment. But then you are young, and naive even though you have seen it because I have grown up here and you learn as you go on,” he said.
Talking about how his approach to selecting projects has changed over the years, Kher reflects, "There was not a lot of work that I would get. I had to wait 1-2 years to get something. You know everybody (in the industry) but that means nothing. It is important to be remembered by people. And people should feel that you are serious. Of course, I met the entire industry multiple times at these industry parties. I can go up to people and say that please think of me."
"Later, something just clicked and I started going out and working on it, and started feeling better. Then something happened, it was just like I wanted to get back on set, no matter who it was. I started messaging people at 10.30 in the morning because I thought 10 would be too early and at 11 they would think I sleep too late. At 10.30 I would keep my alarm and make a list of the people to message. People would be busy and so would not respond immediately. But there is no bitterness on why the person is not responding. Then I would follow up ask them to give me 10 minutes for a meeting and I would take exactly 10 minutes. I would just go to offices and ask them to remember me. So there was a fire in me that I wanted to meet people so that they see me and remember that even I was there. That was the phase I went through.
“At that time, I had called one director I messaged. He looked at me and said 'villain ka role karega kya?' I said I will do it. I did not ask for a script or the character. I just wanted to be on set. I came back and called someone I usually call for advice, and they said 'tu abhi platform par khada hai, tu train par bhi nahi hai. tu trai par chadh, last boogie par chadh, tu first class pauchega ki nahi ye kisiko nahi pata. But train par chad. Bas jaake kaam maangte raho kismat chale, kabhi chalti hai toh kabhi Aarya aayegi, fir aap logo ke zehen pe rahenge. Now I sometimes say no and sometimes ask for a script also,” the actor added sharing the advice that had an impact on him.
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