Amar Upadhyay is best known as television’s original Mihir Virani because of the popular character he played in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi many years ago. Over the years, the actor has been part of many TV shows and has a special connection with the word kyunki. And now, when he has turned a TV producer, he has chosen a title for his show, which begins with the word kyunki.

In an exclusive chat, Amar reveals, “Yes, I am producing and acting in a show titled Kyunki Tum Hi Ho where I will play a character called Karan Pratap Singh who is from Gwalior.”

Ask him about his connection with the word and he says, “When we were all deciding the name along with channel officials, we did not think of my TV show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. It happened quite organically that we came up with the title. . . Kyunki Tum Hi Ho. We chose it based on the story of the show.”

However, he adds, “This particular word is one of my favourite words and will always be, because Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi has changed many lives, including mine. That show is still one of the biggest hits on TV and even today when people talk about it, they just use the first word kyunki, not eventhe entire name. It is ingrained in the minds of the audience.”

Donning the producer’s hat and also playing the lead of a show is a lot of responsibility, he agrees, but is equally excited about it, too. He shares, “Initially, I was just producing the show, but when we were thinking about actors to play this role, the channel suggested that I should do it and after giving it some thought, I agreed. While I am involved in the creative aspects of production, on the sets I just focus on my performance as an actor.”

Given that in recent times, many shows have wrapped up within a span of three to six months, does that bother him? “Yes, it does bother me, not as an actor, but as a businessman. Somewhere it is there at the back of my mind. That risk is always there, but I feel that shouldn’t stop anyone from making shows and telling stories that they are passionate about. Having said that, yes, numbers and ratings matter and for that, we are putting in all our efforts into this show which is very different from what one has seen on TV so far,” says Amar who was recently seen in the film Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2.