Acting is all he knows!

Logo: One to one

Avinash Mukherjee, who became popular after Balika Vadhu, says had he not been an actor, he would have died trying to become one

You shot to fame with Jagya in BalikaVadhu. What are the memories you have from the show?

Yes, the show literally created history as it’s in the Guinness Book of World Records. There are a lot of memories from Balika Vadhu. First of all, the lessons and the teachings which I’ve got from Surekha Sikri ji, I still follow those. She used to give me acting lessons, which I shall never forget till I die.

The show raised the issue of child marriage. Did you understand the sensitivity of the subject?

No, I did not have any idea of the sensitivity of that issue, because I was like 10 years old. I got to know what was the show all about, was when Avika and I used to go for events and people used to come up and say that ‘you changed our lives’. So, I think that’s where the impact of television and the responsibility of our storytelling become visible.

Did you always want to become an actor?

I wanted to do something which would make me live forever. I always had that vision. When my father shifted to Mumbai, I was around seven to eight years old and then I saw this industry, it was the best place to be remembered.

How did you handle fame back then?

I didn’t really know that it was a huge success. And actually most of the time I used to spend was on the show. On the sets people treated me as their child and used to scold me as well. It always felt good and blessed.

You have literally grown in the industry.

Yes, I’ve grown in the industry. It’s been almost a good 10 years in the industry.

If not an actor what would you have been and why?

If not an actor, I would die trying to be an actor.