TV’s angry young man

Those who watch the show will agree that Vishal Aditya Singh’s character of Laakhan Thakur in the serial Begusarai is an enigma. While he can be extremely cruel towards his fiancée, he also loves his family and does not mind that her best friend is a man. Talking about his complex role and how he began his TV career, the actor says, “My first Hindi television show was Sasural Simar Ka, in which I played the character of Veeru; thereafter I was part of Chandragupta Maurya. This time I was lucky to get the main lead in Begusarai as Laakhan Thakur.”

He adds, “Initially in Begusarai, I was speaking very hardcore Bihari and director Ravindera Gautam helped me to tone down my accent.“This character is very unpredictable. He can do anything any time. The assimilation of agony, positive as well as negative traits that he possesses were to be shown perfectly.” “I play an angry young man, there’s no ‘cute’ approach to the character,” says Vishal, adding, “It is a raw and rustic character but I have to be within the premise of the character.

“In real life too I am very blunt and straight forward. Mera pyar aur nafrat dono hi extreme ho jate hai.”Laakhan is not only short-tempered, he is a bit psychotic too. “The character represents the male ego,” says Vishal, adding, “He wants to become the raja of Begusarai by hook or by crook. But in real I am not like that.. I can never do things, which will show me in a bad light.

“In the show I do get manipulated by my mother — this happens because the character does not have a mind of his own.”Asked whether he would emerge as the main villain as the show progresses, Vishal says, “Maybe as the show progresses my character will become the villain, I have only been told that the character has grey shades in it. He does not have a soft approach to anything in life and I portray it exactly like that.”

Talking about how Laakhan treats his fiancée, he says, “I punish her because at times I am ready to do anything for her and I realise later that everything I do for her gets me into major trouble, and it is then that I react and try to punish her.”About working with veteran actress Shweta Tiwari, he says, “It was a pleasure working with her; on the first day of the shoot I did not know how I would work with this well-known actor. But she is very cooperative. She was very helpful in many ways.”

“I am definitely keen on doing films, which has been my target all along. I am open to performing any good character and I don’t have a specific aim of playing a villain. But if it comes my way, I will welcome it, but only if the character appeals me. But I also have the dream of studying more about cinema in colleges at New York and Switzerland. I want to experience the college life, which I have missed,” he concludes.