#NewsBytesExclusive: Harsh Mayar reveals why he chose his 'Gullak' character
Harsh Mayar is the 24-year-old star who brought the persona of chirpy teenager Aman Mishra on the TVF's Gullak to life. Although he put on seven-eight kilos to bring out the cuteness in Aman along with other preparations, Mayar had his apprehensions about playing the character. But the National Film Awards-winning actor took on the challenge, and how! Excerpts from his interview with NewsBytes.
He wanted to do Annu's character, but..
As the eldest sibling in real-life, Mayar instantly clicked with the oldest in the Mishra household, Annu (played by Vaibhav Raj Gupta). "When I got the script [after doing Hichki], I thought they were giving me Annu's part and the character also matched my personality," he said. "But I wanted to take a chance since it would mean going out of my comfort zone."
Actor abhors doing intimate scenes onscreen
While Mayar can act out characters he doesn't relate to, he is quite particular when it comes to portrayals that are not relatable to the general public. "I don't want to do filmy stuff that hardly happens in anyone's life. I abhor the concept of doing sex, intimate, or kissing scenes...I even try to avoid using slang onscreen," he stated.
'Don't want to be famous only among the youth'
"I don't want to be famous only among the youth. I want everyone—the elderly, children, as well as the young generation—to watch me and I hope to get that kind of respect." Mayar said he feels he's on the right path because even though he does two/three projects every year, these stay with him and with the audience. And, Gullak was one such project.
Bollywood's portrayal of romance doesn't sit right with Mayar
The actor believes people are done with watching unrealistic beauty or love stories in Bollywood. That's why shows like Gullak are crucial. "This kind of romance isn't easy...It takes a long time to even say a "Hi" to someone you like," he said. "I want to work on the process where a guy/girl works up the courage to say "Hi," that's what is real."
Upcoming projects of Mayar, 'Gullak' season 4
The I Am Kalam star (he won best child actor at National Film Awards for this) is currently on a foreign trip. But back home, he has several projects in the pipeline. Mayar plays an important cameo in Shamita Shetty-led social drama The Tenant. Regarding Gullak's fourth season, he said, "Things are getting discussed, if it works out, then surely we'll get season four."
