‘Acting is liberating’

TALENTED television star Gunjan Utreja has mixed up hosting popular reality TV shows like The Voice with showing off his acting skills in drama serials, including Madhubala.

Like many stars, he is stuck indoors during the coronavirus pandemic and eager to get back to work, but he is also getting a lot done.

Eastern Eye caught up with Gunjan during the lockdown for a free-flowing conversation.

How are you coping with the Covid-19 lockdown and what have you been doing in this period?

I have divided my day to accomplish new tasks. Apart from shooting my new game show from home, I am reading books, watching films, learning a new language and focusing on my health. I have started cooking also.

What have you been watching on TV?

I don’t watch TV. I haven’t done so since 2012. I watch films or a few web series. The latest one was Money Heist season 4, and before that I was watching The Crown.

Which of your acting projects has given you the greatest joy?

I am always grateful for all the opportunities I have got. Each one of them has a special place in my heart. My upcoming web series is something I am really excited about. It is the toughest role I have ever played. It is quite a complex character with various layers to him. We are yet to complete it and will do so post the lockdown.

What would be your dream role?

The fact that I am watching Money Heist right now, I would say the role of Professor or Berlin in that is my dream role at the moment.

What inspires you?

Acting is one of the toughest and most liberating experiences for any artist. We get to live someone else’s life through our experiences, and imagination is something that excites and inspires me to the core.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

It is something my mother always tells me, which is, ‘don’t compete with others, and that if you are a better version of what you were yesterday, then you are on the right track’. That’s a simple rule I apply to my life and work.

What are the first things you will do when the lockdown is over?

I will go hug the man who takes the garbage out of my home daily. I think it is brave of them to risk their lives to keep our homes hygienic.

Why do you love being an actor?

There is no greater joy for me than to inspire and entertain millions across the world with my craft of storytelling.