Laugh out loud

Gurnaaz Kaur

Television show Jijaji Chhat Per Hain is a huge hit these days and when its lead actors, Nikhil Khurana, who plays Pancham, and Anup Upadhyay (Murari), decided to visit Chandigarh, their fans had every reason to make a beeline for JW Marriot, where the two artistes promoted the show. 

Totally in their on-screen characters, both Nikhil and Anup enacted some of the scenes from the comedy sitcom leaving the whole audience in splits.

City connect

Nikhil, who plays the protagonist in the show, is a Chandigarh boy and so is understandably excited to be back in the city. “I flaunt the fact of being a Chandigarhian in Mumbai. Last night, after really long, I partied till late since I met my old friends and thankfully had no shoot,” he says.

Struggle no deterrent

For this young actor, every day is the first at work and he says, “In this profession, nothing is certain and this especially stands true for success and recognition. I’ve had my share of struggle, which somewhere still continues.  If I were to count, the number of auditions I’ve given would come to 1,200! Those rejections taught me a great deal about this industry. I don’t take my work for granted. One show gone wrong could mean you are being replaced. There is no dearth of actors here.” 

Joy of dreaming

Nikhil has a calm demeanour and his humility reflects in the way he befriends everyone around him. He has no airs about having starred in movie Noor and acted in some popular soap operas. This DAV college alumnus wishes someday Raj Kumar Hirani recognises his talent. “I have no formal training and no Godfather in the industry but I’ve survived this long (seven years) and got lead roles in TV shows. Next, I hope, is a film that launches me as a Bollywood actor,” Nikhil shares.

Experience counts

On the other side, Anup wants to stick to TV and says he enjoys every bit of it. “I’ve been acting for over 25 years now. I began with theatre in Delhi. I was a part of Habib Tanveer’s Naya Theatre and our repertoire included Charandas Chor, Dekh Rahe Hain Nain, Agra Bazaar and more,” Anup shares. 

A happy choice

This seasoned actor has been a part of some popular shows such as Shanti, FIR, Yes Boss and Lapataganj, but says comedy is his first choice because, “It’s a stress-free environment. Throughout the shoot, we are just having fun and the job is done. It can’t get better.”

gurnaaz@tribunemail.com