The character of Dhairya Rana in the second season of Masaba Masaba feels too good to be true. The kind, soft-spoken man, who puts his ladylove’s needs above his own, is a much-required change from the macho heroes we see on screen. So, when his love story with Masaba Gupta took centre-stage in the Netflix show, people lapped it up. Today, as Neil Bhoopalam is nominated in the Best Supporting Actor: Series category at the upcoming mid-day and Radio City Hitlist OTT Awards, he says the makers’ intent impressed him.

“There has been an evolution since the times of Raj and other [romantic heroes] 20 years ago. Having said that, human emotions have remained the same. At first, Dhairya looks too good to be true. But characters [are made believable] by good writing. With him, the team wanted to build a new romantic hero,” he begins.

For the actor, his character’s reserved nature was initially difficult to crack, as it was at odds with his real-life personality. Bhoopalam elaborates, “Dhairya will choose the right time to voice his opinion; he will wait patiently for it. I, however, share my views [immediately].”

Even as fans await the third season of the romantic comedy, Bhoopalam is overwhelmed with the love he has received for his performance. “I was in New York for my play, and so many people recognised me straight away. They came up to me and said, ‘I wish I had a Dhairya in my life’.”

Neil Bhoopalam has been nominated in the Best Supporting Actor (Male): Series category for Masaba Masaba S02.

The other nominees are:

- Amit Sial (Maharani S02)

- Faisal Malik (Panchayat S02)

- Kulbhushan Kharbanda (Guilty Minds)

- Suvinder Vicky (CAT)

- Vaibhav Raj Gupta (Gullak S03)

There are 16 categories that the public can vote in. Log on to www.radiocity.in/hitlistott to cast your vote.

Voting lines close on February 22.