Actor Paras Kalnawat, who plays the lead in Paperback Films’ Meri Durga, has been getting great appreciation or his role. Talking about his journey in the industry, Paras says that he always harboured a dream of becoming an actor.
“I always wanted to be an actor. I have auditioned for many other shows before, got shortlisted in few, but things didn’t work out for some or the other reasons. Later, I went for an audition to Paperback Films for Meri Durga, where my Manager Rupesh Sonar took me. When I got a brief about the character that I had to portray, I got very excited about it and gave my best in the audition. It took few days for them to get back to me,” he says.
However, this journey was not easy for Paras. “I stayed away from my parents for years just to fulfil my and their dream of me being an actor. This was difficult, very difficult, as I was the most pampered kid of my family,” he says.
Reminiscing about when he started his journey, Paras says he still remembers when he faced the camera for the first time. “I remember when I faced the camera for the very first time. It was while doing a TVC, I got very nervous, was confused where to look, where to go, and what exactly to do. It took me time to get used to the camera,” he says.
Ask him what he feels is the most interesting part of his profession, and he says, “As an Actor, I get to learn something new every day. I always try to give variations in front of the camera, and that makes my job fun.”
While he has no regrets, Paras feels that he should have concentrated on action as a genre, right from the start. “I wish I'd learned about action scenes earlier. While doing this show, I got hurt many times while doing action sequences. But I am quite good at it now,” he says.
TV actors often talk about the long hours they need to put in for their shows, and Paras says that he has found a way to look fresh through long schedules as well. “When I have to shoot for long hours, my body and eyes do get tired and need rest. But, at the same time, I have only one thing in my mind that whatever the situation is, I need to look fresh and give my best. So, I take power naps in between my shots. And of course, black coffee is something which helps me and my body to get out of the sleepy zone,” he says.
While he loves being an actor, public scrutiny does bother him at times. “Being judged! That’s what I personally don’t like. There are times when you’re sick, but still, the dedication inside you doesn't die and makes you face the camera at any cost and in many such situations, you can see the change in the performance or the appearance of an actor. And people catch on to that. There are ups and downs in every person's life. Sometimes I feel like getting out of my house in Pyjamas and slippers. But I know I’ll be judged, so I can’t do that,” he says.
Paras’ character has earned him a lot of fan love, especially from his female fans. Ask him how this makes him feel, and he says, “I feel quite lucky about it. I am blessed to get so much of love in such a short period of time.”
The actor says that he is very conscious about the way he looks. “I’m pretty conscious about my looks. I make sure I’m looking good enough before stepping out of my house. And to be very honest, I don't know what my fans like about me, I just know that I’m lucky to get their love,” he says, adding, “Grooming is an extremely important aspect of a person life, whether it's in the context of acting or anything else, a person needs to be well groomed. I always keep myself groomed. Also, I feel for an actor, it is very important to look good on screen. However, more than that, it matters how he performs on screen as well.”
They say that an actor can motivate many people, and Paras agrees. “An actor has the power to influence the crowd. But I’ll just say that everyone should be influenced by the positive side of an actor you admire. If you see that person doing something wrong on screen or on social media, never ever follow it or get influenced. You should know what’s right and what’s wrong,” he says.
