Vishal Aditya Singh has worked across several television shows and has played characters of different shades throughout his career. However, not every project gave him the same experience. In an exclusive conversation with Film Window, the actor opened up about his early days in the industry and recalled feeling left out while working on the popular show Sasural Simar Ka.
Vishal revealed that he was given the role of a driver in the show and was paired opposite actress Jyotsna Chandola, who played a negative character. He said that although he agreed to take up the part, he soon realised that he was being treated differently because his character was not one of the central ones.
“Sasural Simar Ka mein mujhe ek driver ka role diya un logon ne. Ek villain thi Khushi karke, Jyotsna Chandola naam hai unka. Unke opposite mein bola ki ek ladka leke aate hain,” Vishal recalled.
The actor said he had already spent around 17 to 18 days on the show when he began reflecting on the difference between his experiences on different sets. He particularly remembered his time on Chandragupta Maurya, where he worked alongside several established actors.
“Main ek show karke gaya tha Chandragupta Maurya. Yes, jismein ek se ek dhakad actor the. Un logon ne mujhe kabhi left out nahi feel karaya,” he said.
Vishal went on to name several people from the show, including Ashish Sharma, Mohnish Bahl, Suraj Thapar and Manish Wadhwa, among others. According to him, they would tease him and point out his mistakes, but he never felt that they were looking down on him.
“In logon ne meri jam ke khilli udaayi hai. Main achhe meaning mein positive bol raha hoon,” he explained.
He remembered how the cast would spend time together during breaks and even make sure that he was included despite being a side character.
“Apan toh side character hai na. Apan logon ke liye nahi aata tha. Hum toh lekin un side characters mein se sirf eklauta main tha jiske liye aata tha,” Vishal said.
The actor said that the experience taught him how important it is to make people feel included, regardless of the size of their role. He then contrasted it with his experience on Sasural Simar Ka, where he claimed he often found himself sitting alone.
“Aur Sasural Simar Ka mein main akela baithta tha. Koi nahi baat karta tha mujhse,” he recalled.
Vishal believes that people can sometimes end up judging an actor based on the character they are playing. In his case, he felt that being cast as a driver affected how people perceived him off camera as well.
“Kai baar kya hota hai ki aap jis kirdaar ke saath aate hain na, aap usi kirdaar ke accordingly us insaan ko judge kiya jaata hai,” he said.
He further explained that while he may have been playing a driver on screen, he saw himself as much more than the character he was portraying.
“Lekin main toh actor aur andar se hero bhi hoon. Hero toh paida hua hoon,” Vishal added.
The actor also recalled shooting his first scene with the family on the show. He said that the director Pawan made him stand at the back, and he remained there while the close up shots were being filmed for nearly two days.
“Khada kar diya peeche suggestion mein, toh khada hi hoon main. Hum do din tak close chal raha hai. Khada hi hoon main peeche suggestion mein,” he said.
Looking back, Vishal admitted that the experience affected him internally, particularly because he had always been someone with a short temper. However, he said he did not lose his temper on the people around him.
“Main kabhi nahi phootta tha. In sab pe nahi, mera matlab mere dimaag ka nas phat’ta tha. Mujhe kya lagta tha aur mujhe lagta tha ki ye sab waise hi judge ho rahe hain,” he concluded.
