After TV serials and web series Bhaukaal, The Forgotten Army – Azaadi ke Liye, 377 Ab- Normal, Yeh Teri Galliyan, Panchali, Bepannah, and Hum, Noida-based actor Upen Chauhan, 29, is now playing a suave businessman Rahul Arora in the new season of Balaji Telefilms Yeh Hai Chahatein (StarPlus). A qualified engineer and an MBA, Chauhan was pursuing his PhD in operations management and running multiple businesses when the acting bug bit him and he left it all to pursue his passion.
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Tell us more about Rahul Arora. How different is he from the roles you have done so far?
Rahul Arora is a self-made businessman, a confident and brave man who can go to any extent to achieve his goals. I have played a host of negative characters before - a cunning lawyer, a murderer, a gangster, but Rahul Arora is very different from them as there are many layers to him. He’s not a typical villain, though the character has tinges of negativism. His character is completely opposite to the innocent Rajesh in Bhaukaal.
When did the acting bug bite you?
I was always inclined towards different art forms, though it was not my mainstay. I used to read and write poetry, sing songs, do mimicry for friends and family. I would get inside the world which I was watching on screen, and do voice-overs while watching TV ads and narrations by Amitabh Bachchan and Gulzar Sahab. Then, in 2014, encouraged by friends, I joined a theatre workshop and the very first day felt like meditative. Soon theatre became my full-time love and I handed over my businesses to my partners and plunged headlong into it.
How did your family take to your decision?
For a long time, I did not tell anyone in my family I was doing theatre. Only after a friend shared a newspaper report of my play on social media, I told my brother. Somehow, I always felt that my family, especially my father, won’t appreciate it. But when I had to travel to Mumbai, it became imperative that I tell my father. I had many misgivings, but to my surprise he said “theek hai beta, jo kare achhe se karna. Aur roz subah bhagwaan ka naam lena”. I am grateful to have the unflinching support from my family.
Why did you move from theatre to TV?
I did theatre for three years. It was very liberating, but I needed to grow, and reach out to wider audiences. And there is no denying that TV and OTT expand your horizons, and in turn open up more opportunities. Each medium has its own challenges, but both are fun and exciting. Theatre gives you a lot of time to rehearse so when you perform on stage there is no you, but the character and it leads you to travel the journey of the story till the end. In camera acting, you perform different parts of the script depending on availability of location, fellow actors, day and night shifts, etc. So you have to perform the jumbled up parts of the script at different times, and it is a challenge to retain the character’s energy and emotions. But, it is easier as you can have retakes, and relax a bit, unlike in theatre.
Which one do you prefer – OTT, films or TV.
My preference is what I am doing in the now. This approach has blessed me with 47 projects, including web series, web films, TVCs and TV shows, in less than three years.
How was the lockdown period?
It turned out to be a period of exploring other dimensions of art. I discovered that I can sketch and paint, I meditated, read books, and practised yoga. I love cooking, so I learnt to cook a few new delicacies. I indulged in poetry, and wrote a couple of stories and screenplays, too.