With the entry of Shikhar Mehra, Ishani’s defense layer, the show Meri Aashiqui Tum Se Hi has taken an intense turn. The plot thickens as Ishani refuses to spill the beans about Chirag’s murder and with less than 48 hours left for her death penalty, there’s very little time for Shikar to pull off a miracle. Will he manage to save Ishani from facing a punishment she didn’t commit?

Well, for that we need to wait for the suspense to unfold! But meanwhile, we got in touch with Arjun Bijlani, who plays the character of Shikhar Mehra, and he shared with some interesting insights about the show. A popular face in the TV industry, it’s a sort of a comeback for Arjun and he couldn’t be happier doing it with a show like Meri Aashiqui Tum Se Hi! 

Excerpts from the interview:

Q.Tell us something about your character of Shikhar Mehra

Shikhar is a lawyer by profession, but a Casanova sort of a guy by nature. The character is of a positive happy-go-lucky fellow but he has experienced some kind of pain in the past which will be revealed in the later episodes. You can say there’s a different side to Shikhar and that’s something to watch out for.

Q.Meri Aashiqui Tum Se Hi is made on a grand scale, and on top if it’s a Balaji show. How has the experience been of being a part of an already popular show?

I haven’t done TV in the past 8-9 months because of my newborn baby. So it’s fun to be back and that too with a Balaji show! Ekta Kapoor understands the pulse of the audience and you know when you’re working for Balaji your character is going to be interesting and challenging.

Q.Talking about your character, how much do you relate to Shikhar?

As Arjun Bijlani, I’m not at all like Shikhar. I do a lot of masti but definitely not a Casanova! For me it’s fun to pick up characters which are different than you. When you get out of your comfort zone and act that’s a challenge and that gives me the adrenaline rush. Lot of my friends asked me why I’m doing this show when I have done a movie which is going to release soon but my response has only been that it’s Balaji! I believe careers can’t be made with a plan. When I go out to work, I don’t plan anything and just go with the flow. Taking Shahrukh Khan for example, he never planned he’ll become a Superstar one day!

Q.Do you think it’s difficult to adjust in a show in which the lead pair of Ishvir’s is already a favorite among fans? 

I ‘ve been working in this industry for 10 years and have been part of several love stories.  I know that in a romantic story if a couple is loved it takes time for the audiences to adjust but slowly with time they accept it. See, I think In real life too, people come in our lives and equations change. I’m not saying Ishvir won’t be together but like how it happens in real life equations change, you meet someone, you go through ups and downs but eventually you accept the change and move on. Same treatment is with our reel stories and I’m sure fans will love this aspect of the show as well.

Q.How has been the bonding with the cast, being newcomer on-sets?

I’m surprised that in just 2 days that I have met Radhika we’ve totally kicked off! We were shooting on beach the other day and there was a crab which I picked up to scare her in her vanity van and she was scared to wits! She’s a real chilled out cofactor to work with and I’ve enjoyed doing my scenes with her.

Shakti too has been fun to work with and the funny thing is we live in the same building! In fact a few months ago I bumped into him in the building and my mother is a huge fan of this show. So when we met I told him that my mother loves his show and he’s doing some really good work. And now suddenly I’m doing this show! How ironic!

Q.What can fans expect from this leap? 

I always say ‘If you’re not surprised you are not attached.’  If you know what’s going to come you’ll not be excited. Fans definitely have certain emotions for their favorite characters but there’s lot more to come and I’m sure it’ll only get interesting from here.  The journey, of all characters has to continue and fans can expect lots of twists and turns.

Q.Tell us more about your upcoming film

I shot for this film called Direct Ishq.  It stars me, Rajniesh Duggal and Nidhi Subbaiah. It’s a light rom-com movie, we completed the shooting in January and looking for a release this year. The first look has been out already so praying that all goes well!