Aarya Babbar says challenging roles inspire him to work harder
Actor Aarya Babbar is back on television after eight years with ZEE TV’s show Jagriti—Ek Nayi Subah. Based around a fictional Chitta community, whose members are treated as criminals at birth and deprived of basic rights, Aarya says the show will be an eye-opener. “In fact, the show represents the reality of several marginalised communities and unsettled tribes that exist across India,” he says.
Having made a return after a break, Aarya plays the role of a negative character, Kalikant. “I’ve always been drawn to characters that challenge me and Kalikant is one of them. When I first read the script, I was immediately captivated by his complexity and the opportunity to explore a new side of my acting abilities. Challenging roles sure inspire me. Kalikant is a multifaceted villain. He’s not just a one-dimensional bad guy; he’s a man driven by a twisted sense of justice, making him both intriguing and repulsive,” he adds. Essaying such a character required a lot of preparations and Aarya says his transformation journey to become Kalikant was very fulfilling. “Since the first day of the shoot, I have been spending time with the creative team and my director to get the nuances of the role right. In fact, I have been doing a lot of prep work to get my character’s dialect and phonetics correct because the way Kalikant speaks is very different and unique. I’ve also pushed myself to work out, bulk up and look more muscular on screen, making Kalikant look more devious and sinister,” he says.
Aarya shares that Jagriti—Ek Nayi Subah follows the brave journey of a young girl fighting against ingrained injustices to reclaim her dignity and freedom. “I believe the impact of our show’s narrative goes beyond entertainment — it has the power to inspire, provoke thought, and spark conversations about the vital issues of dignity and freedom. Being a part of telling such a powerful story is like a privilege for me, but it also feels like a responsibility,” he says.
About working with a child actor on the sets, he shares, “I find it incredibly rewarding and refreshing to shoot with a child actor like our little Jagriti on sets. Her boundless energy, unpredictable nature as well as expressions, inject spontaneity into scenes, which in turn uplifts our entire sequence. Having said that, shooting with a child also requires patience and flexibility from the entire crew, which I feel we have in abundance.”
— As told to Dharam Pal
