there is little Karan Kundrra Has not tried on screen in his over a decade run in the industry. Looks like the actor is not full of aloofness after MTV Fanaaah. In his latest offering, Tere Ishq Mein Ghayal, he is seen as Veer Oberoi, a werewolf. Kundra admits that the show is heavily influenced by The Vampire Diaries, and for her part, it has been a challenge not to copy Ian Somerhalder. In a candid chat with Mid-Day, Kundra discussed the pressures of playing the character.
Ian Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev in The Vampire Diaries
Edited excerpts from the interview.
You have done supernatural shows before. Did you have any objections about repeating the genre?
When I heard the story and character brief, I got excited. However, I did not think that I would be able to do justice to the busy schedule that comes with television shows as over the years, I have got used to shooting for it. [finite series] for OTT platform. But what is life without challenges?
Have you seen The Vampire Diaries?
Absolutely. who is not?
Besides the premise of two brothers falling for the same woman, are there any other similarities between the two shows?
it looks like [international] show, that’s why people are comparing them. But the fantasy supernatural show is a limited genre. When we think of the genre, we immediately think of Twilight, Dracula or The Vampire Diaries. For example, if you talk about two brothers and their mother, one immediately thinks of Karan Arjun (1995) or Deewar (1975). To me, as long as the audience is drawn to watch the show, it is [worth it],
When you were offered the show, did you ask the producers if it was a copy of The Vampire Diaries?
actually that was my first question [laughs], It’s obvious, and I’m a huge fan of the show and Ian Somerhalder. I was worried that I would copy him. That being said, if we were an exact copy of The Vampire Diaries, why would anyone be watching us? They can watch The Vampire Diaries again.
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What new facets did you discover as an actor in this show?
Veer Oberoi is a challenging character as it can easily [slip into] Caricature Zone. When someone plays a negative role, they make it a [all-black] Antagonists, but they are not real. no mogambo [Amrish Puri’s character in Mr India] In real life, neither are completely good people. Veer has his own standards of good and bad, he doesn’t care what people think of him. He is unattainable and intense. It becomes difficult to relate that kind of character to reality, which is what I’m trying to do.
Were you afraid of being influenced by Ian Somerhalder’s portrayal?
yes, during some scenes i thought i was [emulating] Ian Somerhalder, and then it would hit me [to portray the scene in my own way], Do you know how much pressure is on me right now? I’ve put myself under pressure before other people could. Sometimes, when I do some scenes in a romantic show, the director says, ‘Tere andar ka Shahrukh Spring has come. And I offer to do another take. As an actor, you have to keep making sure that you give your touch to the character.
Do you think television has been affected by the OTT boom?
it certainly was [affected] because television wasn’t churning out new content [during the lockdowns], Hence, a section of people, who did not have access to OTT earlier, were forced to explore it. As a result, people got used to a different kind of material. We are breaking television stereotypes with shows like Tere Ishq Mein Ghayal and creating content that people expect.
