LIVING LIVING

HIS HIS DREAMS DREAMS Rithvik Dhanjani

SMALL SCREEN HEARTTHROB RITHVIK DHANJANI GETS NOSTALGIC ABOUT BEING A DUBAI KID AS HE CATCHES UP WITH AAKANKSHA NAVAL-SHETYE FOR AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW AND ALSO TALKS ABOUT BRIDGING GENERATIONS AS A HOST ON HIS UNIQUE OTT DATING SHOW - DATEBAAZI!

feels like life’s come to a full circle,” says Rithvik Dhanjani as we catch up with the actor in Dubai. The joy of being in the city where he spent his childhood is evident, as the young TV star recalls playing and studying here. “It was here that I first dreamt of being an actor, and now that I’m one, revisiting Dubai just brings back memories and there’s such a strong feeling of gratitude,” he tells me. Of course Rithvik’s been here many times since he first tasted fame with his successful TV shows Bandini, Pavitra Rishta and finally Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani that cemented his stardom on the small screen. Winner of several reality shows and a much loved host, the actor has most recently been winning over the OTT as well – first with his performance as the gritty gangster Abhay Angre in Cartel and now with Amazon’s first Indian original non-fiction show – Datebaazi. And as we catch up over a platter of some delicious Indian delicacies, we chat about his passion for acting, his journey as an actor, and also find out the dating tips he has for the singles out there

Coming to Dubai must be nostalgic especially now that you come home as a star?

This is probably the first time that I’m here for a private gig, otherwise, I’ve always been to Dubai working on camera. But coming here in the capacity as just me is after 10 long years, which is amazing because this is home. And yes, that’s a beautiful feeling. I feel so content today because we’re sitting in Dubai, a place where I’ve grown-up. I used to go to Indian High School in Dubai and now to come back having become an actor… I don’t know how to put words to that feeling. Achievement, yes. Contentment, yes. But there’s a greater feeling of gratitude. This is exactly the life that I had imagined when I was 15 years old, and I performed on the stage of my school as a student. The lights would go down, the hall would be completely dark and for me that arena was my world. I came alive at that point. And I felt like I was addressing the universe! Today that’s a reality. I can be on any stage today that I want and I feel blessed and so overwhelmed!

You’re juggling between so many things –OTT, television, LIVE events, hosting, reality shows. Where do you find yourself more settled?

To be honest, I have been so happy and content with everything that I’m doing right now, I feel wonderful with being a part of so many multiple platforms and being appreciated on all of them. I feel so blessed that every bit that I’ve stepped in, I’ve been accepted with open arms and with so much love from the people. I don’t want to narrow that down to any one platform. Why limit yourself!

You have also constantly reinvented yourself, so it’s always very exciting to see what you’re going to be doing next. Like your angry Angre in Cartel! About Angre, there’s this very interesting incident. Almost a year after the show got over, I remember I had just bought a new car and had taken my mom for a drive. Suddenly a traffic cop on a bike asked me to pull over. And I was recollecting like did I break a signal, took a wrong turn… So, I roll down my window and he goes, “Arey bhau! Bhai tumne bahut accha kaam kiya.” And my mom was right there and I saw the widest smile on my mom’s face. And that meant the world for me, you know seeing her beam with pride.

Tell us more about your new show Datebaazi, it’s a pretty unique concept! It’s a crazy show. When I was approached, the makers had this simple narration: ‘We’re going to make the parents go on a dating app for their single kids and have them swipe left or right for the kids’ prospective dating partners. On top of it, the kids (singles) are not going to have any control over who their parents are choosing for them.’ And I just thought, this idea was so bizarre, because if you read dating profiles today, they are very vocal which is great, but can put the parents in a culture shock. We put the parents and the singles in two different rooms. There’s no communication, but the singles can see what their parents are doing. So they are crossing their fingers and they are scratching their hair because they missed out on someone that they would have literally swiped right on. And their parents just go like, yeh nahin, woh, woh nahin yeh! Some parents are like ki ye kalesh karwayegi, yeh ladka bekar hai… And like my parents, so many other parents, they just want their kids to get married. But the kids are not there to get married, they are here to just date.

What’s your take on the whole dating scene today, with so many options versus the old time romances…

We’re in a commitment phobic generation, and like you rightly said, so many options available. The idea of working on something that’s broken is where romance is, it’s slow, steady and you got to work on the relationship every single day with your partner. Reinvent yourself and fall in love all over again every single day. And that idea is lost. I feel sad for this generation. Today it seems all about quick fixes, instant gratifications, and replace rather than repair! That’s not how love works!

What would be your advice to the singles out there? Take it slow. Everyone seems to be on a racing horse to finish a race or something to find that person. And if anything goes wrong then instantly replace! But to be honest, you got to work a little bit more on yourself and not be dependent on your partner to find your happiness. You have to find your happiness yourself and then share it with your partner! That’s pretty much what it is.

What advice for the parents? Communication - because the generations they come from and the kids belong to function very differently. It’s important for parents to sort of understand the need of new generation and that only happens through communication.

Bridging that generation gap must be quite a task, but you seem to be handling it really well!

Yes and I’ve had some very hilarious and awkward situations where parents are so clueless about the generation of their kids! In their profile, we’ve asked wild questions to the singles, like ‘What’s been your most adventurous hook-up story?’ So I’ve been put in a spot multiple times in the show and trust me it’s not easy, more for the parents to come to terms with the dating culture.

Also this is your first non-fiction on OTT? Yes, this is my first in the OTT space where I am doing a non-fiction. In fact, OTT spaces have just opened up to non-fiction here. The first that Amazon did was Case Toh Banta Hai, which was an adapted format. This is the second, but this one is the first Original Amazon.

Would you want your parents to choose a date for you?

Never. If my mum had her way, she would make me marry the first girl she comes across (laughs)!

So, you have that pressure at home? Oh! Every single day.

Single? Even though you enjoy such a huge female fan-following?

Yes, I have nobody that I’m seeing right now. Which is also really sad, so yes (laughs). It’s a different space that I’ve never been in. I mean I’ve been in a committed relationship for almost nine years. So, this is still new to me.

Do you feel that pressure of expectations every time you choose your project? I always go with what my gut says, even though to be honest that pressure is there like the choice that you’ve made, you hope works out in the favour of your fans and what they expect. Sometimes, this pressure actually works like a speed breaker too and stops me from getting carried away too. So there’s a bit of that balance, where that pressure cannot become the barricade. The only way is to constantly be steady and be grounded so that I can listen to my true voice and what it’s saying. It has all the answers!

What’s kept you going thought it all? Yaar ek junoon hai! Ek kuch pagalpan hai. Aur us pagalpan ka koi naam nahin hai, Bas ek feeling hai. That I want to keep going, keep doing better. I won’t settle for anything lesser than the best! I was almost going to give into doing my dad’s business back when I started out, but I knew that’s not going to keep me happy. So the madness comes from the fact that I don’t want to go back there. I only want to be better every single day. That’s the only thing that keeps me going every single day.

A host, non-fiction, fiction… what’s the most challenging?

Being a host is definitely more challenging because you got to work on your wit, your spontaneity and all of that. By God’s grace that comes to me naturally, I don’t know how! But the idea of sort of transforming myself to becoming someone else, that’s fascinating.