In recent times the content on Indian television has been changing for the good. What I love is how we are ditching the regressive storylines and welcoming some progressive plots. Amongst these, one such show is Spy Bahu that premiers from Monday on Colors TV. Now, what is so different this time is that it’s the love story of a spy with a suspected terrorist. Starring Sehban Azim and Sana Sayyad in lead roles, the romantic drama is surely debunking some stereotypes around the tube. In fact, recently when I caught up with Sehban for a chat he also told me how the styling of his character is inspired by his real-life style statements and is very different from what we see.

Other than this, our exclusive interview revolved around his journey, about him fighting the skin color barrier and also about making it big.

Here are the excerpts from the interview…

On his styling in the show…

These days, when you watch television you see everybody wearing skin-tight clothes, showing off their muscles. I wanted to break this and thankfully Ashvini Yardi and Shivani Shirali happened to me. I know Shivani since Dill Mill Gaye, so we decided why not break the norm and go anti-fits. You will see a different styling for Yohan this time. He is a little enigmatic, ambiguous, aloof, lost, so I could relate to those characteristics. It’s a boon to play such a character with who you can play easily.

On Dill Mill Gaye making him TV’s chocolate boy and fighting skin tone barriers…

It did actually, I was the only dusky guy on screen during that time. I remember, people used to say, ‘gora make up karo isko’, as a North Indian also I have fought that. Being a dark complexion guy, everyone in my family is fair, so they would wonder who I have gone on because I was wheatish. I as a guy has fought it and somehow now it’s the other way round. It’s the dark, brooding, handsome-looking guy they talk about. Being dark is like a statement now and I have seen that journey.

On his life beyond shows…

This is what keeps me going. I had a very simple 9 to 5 job that I gave up and came to this. I am excited to do what I wanted to do. Off-screen I am a very normal boy next door who is a little shy, aloof, hiding from the world, being happy in his own simple world. But when you say action, I am a very different guy altogether that is when the character comes in. Also, TV helps that, because it’s not like we are taking a break and shooting after one month, we are shooting every day, so personally, I think I am living two characters at the same time.

On male characters taking a back seat on TV shows…

Thankfully, it has not happened to me till now. I hope it doesn’t. Whatever characters I have been doing have been very important or key characters till now, be it Thapki or Bepannaah or Udaan. So, thankfully I have not experienced that stage where I am standing and I have nothing to say. Or a good-looking guy standing there doing nothing. Tujhse Hai Raabta could have been that, but Malhar and Kalyani went so well with the chemistry that everything though was around Kalyani, Malhar had to be there.

On leaving his job and choosing this profession…

It had been 2 and half years, people would have killed for that job, and I was like I can’t do this job anymore, it’s not me. I cannot sit in an office and work for someone, I need to find my own journey. For me it was not about the money, but about the journey. I had a lot of other plans that I could connect creatively. On the side, I was a model, so I thought let’s start with this and see how it goes. I did not come with a plan to reach where I am. I never thought I will be a star or an actor, I thought I will take it by the day because I did plan for all these years and what happened eventually? Everything fell apart, including my life. What helped were my parents, they told me it was okay to leave my job, but whatever I do, it had to be with all my heart. That has made all the difference, it made me something.

On is Sehban happy…

Sehban is more than happy, I cannot ask for what I have in my life right now, I can’t be more thankful than this, my family is happy and that makes all the difference. My mom is my biggest fan and the greatest critic. My most brutal critic is my brother though.

I am totally looking forward to Sehban’s character on the show and also to taking some notes from his character on the fashion front.