Kundali Bhagya 20 Year Leap: Shakti Anand Says, “I Never Compare A Role With An Actor Or Try To Copy Someone”

The television program Kundali Bhagya on Zee TV is made by Balaji Telefilms. It is one of the audience's favored shows and features Shraddha Arya and other notable actors. Everyone is riveted by its changes and twists.

Fans have expressed a lot of affection for the show's stellar ensemble cast. The program has also skipped 20 years, which has resulted in the departure of many of the actors.

The show's leading actors include Paras Kalnawat, Sana Sayyad, and Baseer Ali, with Shraddha Arya remaining.

Following the leap, Karan Luthra's position has been taken by Shakti Anand.

Shakti, a well-known and well-liked performer who has been working in the business for more than 20 years, has been working with Balaji since Kyunki Saas Bhi Bahu Thi.

Fans of the show are very excited to see you carry forward the legacy, how has it been for you, coming on board the show?

The feeling was really good, The show has been around for a while. I had interacted with most of the cast when I was shooting for ‘Humari Wali Good News’ on Zee TV, they are very interactive, I know a few of them from before. I am coming back after 3 months, and even though the show is old, it is fairly new for me and for the actor whenever he joins a show, it’s a new show for him, new challenges for him. I have the first day butterflies, the nervousness, there is a surprising factor about everything, chemistry with all the actors, because for people who have been doing the show for a while, it’s like they know like the back of their hands, and I guess that is for everybody who is coming new to the show. New actors do bring freshness to the show. The show is the same but the twist and turns are new, and the flavors are new.

Did you feel hesitant to take up the role of Karan Luthra, because there have been two versions of it that already exist?

There was no hesitation as such but you definitely feel certain challenges, whenever you get into someone else’s skin, and I mean character here, like into a different character, because I never compare a role with an actor, or try to act like someone else, or try to copy each other, nothing like that happened, I don’t believe in that. And I feel whenever an actor portrays a character, no matter how famous it is, they try to do it their own way and that is how it should be, if you don’t look at what the other has done, it helps you take the character forward and in your own way.

And the plus point I would say about portraying Karan right now is, the 20-year leap and 20-years is a long time and human being changes alot during this as well, because things change in human beings as well, and I think the comparison is not going to be same because, if I look at how in 2003 I used to do Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and now doing this, Shakti Anand has only changed so much, and now Karan is also going to be different, his walk, the way he talks, his way of working and everything will have a fresh perspective and look.

What can we expect from the show after the leap and anything that you would like to say to the fans?

It is a well-established, hit show and it already has a premium and loyal audience, they have a very dedicated audience that has made the show a hit for the last 5-6 years. The creatives, the writers, the heads at Balaji whatever they are going to bring in now will be very different, very fresh, very new, and that will only take the legacy forward. And all of the new actors that have joined, me included, will try to match up to the expectation of the audience and try to take it forward 6 years,10 years because it is difficult to create the branding of the show, and if a show has that branding, that loyal audience, the fan following, the actors and if you get that, it gives you that extra confidence to do your job better and I hope the audience keeps the love going for us as well.

Channa Mereya, Humari Wali Good News, Maharana Pratap, Gangaa, Tenali Rama, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, and many other programs have featured Shakti Anand.