Showing posts with label Apurva Agnihotri interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Apurva Agnihotri interview. Show all posts
Stardom never excited me; learnt to be happy with what I have-Apurva Agnihotri
9:07 AM
Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; January 14, 2026)
Apurva Agnihotri is back on television with Seher after his stint on Anupamaa ended almost three years ago. Incidentally, he had turned down the role initially. He says, “I don’t know why my first reaction is always to say no. It was only after reading a scene that was beautifully written that I changed my mind. I’ve had offers in the past couple of years, including OTT shows, but this one worked out well for me.”
He adds, “I don’t have any regrets about letting go of work because I have never been crazily ambitious. If things go my way, I’m happy, if they don’t, I’m still happy.”
‘When I did Pardes, the industry was ruled by four-five actors’
Apurva made his acting debut with Subhash Ghai’s Pardes in 1997 and even though the film was a hit, his Bollywood career did not take off the way he expected. Ask him about this and he says, “I did three-four films after Pardes, but in those days the industry was ruled by four-five actors. People didn’t really care about anybody else and I probably didn’t have it in me to go out there and meet people or party. I was not cut out for that world.”
‘An actor is an actor, irrespective of the medium’
Television proved to be a defining space and he made a mark with Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin, which recently completed 22 years. He credits the show’s success to strong writing.
For Apurva, the shift from films to television was never a downgrade. “An actor is an actor. Whether you act on the big screen, small screen or do plays — the actor doesn’t change.”
‘I want life to be a beautiful mix of work and home’
Apurva and his wife, actress Shilpa Agnihotri welcomed their baby Ishaani in 2022. The arrival of their daughter brought a decisive shift in priorities, he says.
“Shilpa and I have this unsaid arrangement. Only one of us works and the other stays at home to look after our daughter. Ishaani surprises us every day and it is amazing to watch her grow. What I now seek is a balance. I just want life to be a beautiful mix of work and home. Nothing else,” he adds.
‘There’s no point looking at what you don’t have’
Apurva admits that for him stardom never held the kind of pull it does for many others. “I don’t think I’m built that way. I’ve learned to be happy with what I have. That’s also a part of spirituality. There’s no point looking at what you don’t have, you rather focus on what you do,” he says.
When I entered Bollywood in the 90s, people didn’t want to see a new face-Apurva Agnihotri
8:04 AM
Akash Wadhwa (BOMBAY TIMES; May 1, 2021)
Having entered showbiz with Pardes in 1997, Apurva Agnihotri made his foray into the television industry with Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin in 2003. Last seen in the show Bepannaah in 2018, the actor is now back on TV as Dr Advait Khanna in the show, Anupamaa.
“Everybody wants to get prominent and lead roles in shows. It is only with my mother’s blessings that I have managed to sustain for so long in the television industry, doing good work,” he says, adding, “However, my first instinct whenever I am offered offered a show, is to say no. I don’t know why but I prefer my alone time, without any limelight or social media. And the reason one doesn’t see me acting much is also because I also have other areas of interest. I am on the verge of finishing a script. My father was a script writer, so somewhere that is in my blood. I am inching towards my dream of writing a script and then directing it. Apart from all this, I am heavily into motor-biking. I love to travel the world on my bike. I want to go to Leh and Ladakh soon. Acting karni padti hai for bread and butter, but I have my other interests too.”
Telling us more about the process of script writing, Apurva adds, “I am enjoying the whole concept of creating characters in my scripts. As you write, then they start talking to you. The whole process is really amazing! I know it sounds crazy, but now, it is actually happening to me. I speak to my characters. And yes, I won’t be acting in my project nor will my wife Shilpa (Saklani). You have to be massively talented to be directing, writing and acting in a project at the same time. I won’t be doing that.”
Talking about being a part of Anupamaa, Apurva says, “With Rajan Shahi being the producer of the show, it felt like home ground. So, when he narrated the character to me over the phone, I immediately said yes, as I have known him for several years. I play a doctor in the show. This character will bring changes in the lives of Shah parivaar and Anupama,” he shares.
So, doesn’t he miss being a part of films? “Sabke liye Bollywood is the ultimate goal, but if you see TV as a medium has given me much more than Bollywood. Also, when I entered Bollywood in the 90s, people didn’t want to see a new face. There were Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and other such names, which they wanted to see. So, it was very difficult for a newcomer to get a break in films. Pardes is a special film. The way Subhash Ghai presented me no one could have. But it is unfair to compare the two mediums, as television happened because of films.”
Apurva’s social media posts often feature his wife Shilpa. Speaking about her, he says, “People say opposites attract, but that’s not the case with us. We are so similar, we don’t need anyone else. We are complete with each other.”
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