He just acts like a brat but isn’t one. His good looks bagged him modelling assignments and destiny took him to Mumbai from where he rules million of hearts today through hisportrayal
of ‘Zain Abdullah’ in the popular television drama show Beintehaa.
Those who are abreast with the goings-on on the not-so-idiot box, will be surprised to hear Delhi-boy Harshad Arora aka Zain say, “I never thought I would take up acting.”
In between his busy shooting schedule he gets nostalgic when the reference to his hometown props up.
“I still remember I was a bully in my class, yet quite joyful and friendly,” he reminisces about his college days at Delhi University where he pursued BSc in Mathematical Science.
“It truly doesn’t go with my personality, but I was stupid to find the course interesting while reading the brochure. My Principal advised me in its favour and I thought it sounded good, so may be I should take it up,” he guffaws adding that he “luckily managed to pass in all three years” and still has fond memories of those days.
A lesser known fact, however, is that this handsome lad also did a professional course in PR, Advertising and Marketing.
“I wanted to be in creative ads but landed in public relations.” Meanwhile, his modelling assignments started and he throughout received the support of his ‘liberal’ parents.
“My dad, who is a businessman, encouraged me a lot, but my mom got a little emotional when I decided to shift to Mumbai since I was getting constant calls for TV,” says the mama’s boy who was elated to introduce his mother to the crew members when she visited him on the set.
The venue, recreated to look like ‘Barkat Villa’, the house where the Abdullah family resides, has provided an identity to Harshad.
“I was offered cameos initially, but was clear about my choice of roles and I am glad that I accepted Beintehaa,” his debut serial which airs on Colors, for which he researched quite a bit.
Since the show is based on a Muslim family, Harshad “saw some Pakistani shows” and shares that he often takes advice from his co-actor “Naved Aslam who plays my father Usman Abdullah in the show.
He is highly educated and informed about Urdu, Hindi and English and guides me about pronunciation and vocabulary.”
“Luckily, my character is of an urban boy, so I don’t have to speak so much Urdu but I try to use as many words as I can. Urdu is a beautiful language if you can speak it well. In fact, using Urdu words has made me speak them in real life too,” reveals the actor whose name has become synonymous with the dialogue ‘Mamu ki Bhanji’.
Without missing out on the chance he informs Metrolife, “In a recent poll conducted by the channel, my dialogue has received most votes after Babaji ka Thullu!”