Namit Khanna Suave, Witty & Ambitious

After making a mark as a model, Namit Khanna is making it count as a promising actor as well while portraying a young successful lawyer Sidhhant Sinha in ‘Yeh Pyaar Nahi Toh Kya Hai on Sony TV. As a new face, Namit debuted with this show and he has just impressed everyone with his stint. He has indeed created a much-needed spark with his awesome screen presence and powerful dialogues. In a candid conversation with Devyani Purkayastha, Namit Khanna talks about himself, his career and his newest venture as Siddhant Sinha.

Have you ever dreamt to become an actor?
Yes. Since the past 2-3 years, it was my single-minded focus. It wasn’t the same when I was younger.

How did you bag the role of the male protagonist in Yeh Pyar Nahi To Kya Hai?
A meeting and an audition sealed the deal for me. I believe things are always destined to happen at the right time. Till then you keep on working hard. My time has finally come. I was auditioning for different projects and waiting for a worthwhile one. Uday Berry the creative producer of the show had called me to their office and quickly auditioned me. I also got the opportunity to meet the producer/writer of the show – Dilip sir and the project head –Vishal Mehra, who narrated the details of my character. In a couple of days, we had begun shooting!

Are there similarities between you and the character played by you?
When the storyline was narrated, I found the character very close to my reality and uncannily I made few connections with the character in my head while listening to the story. Siddhant is an extremely ambitious and driven individual! He has his eyes set on one goal for which he is willing to do anything and even overlooks his feelings for Anushka, his childhood friend and love interest. It’s another tale about the choices that we make either with one’s head or one’s heart!! I’m sure everyone has gone through something similar at a point in their lives as I certainly have.

Go on!
And both of them are from Delhi, both have an emotional heart but have trouble showing it to others, extremely protective about loved ones.. witty and ambitious! As a Delhi boy I do understand certain nuances about the city which is an important character on the show. I have a good sense of humor and can be sarcastic like Siddhant at times. I am also driven towards success in life. We both are like swans. Calm and composed from the outside but working extremely hard within with a lot going on to get to our destination.

Are you happy playing Siddhant Sinha?
It is very rare that someone who isn’t from the industry gets to play such a beautiful yet real character that everyone loves. I truly feel blessed. Sometimes I feel it is written specially for me! The process of working in TV is really teaching me a lot more than I had expected!

How has been your experience shooting in the capital city?
Usually we all know that for television shows, a set is constructed at a designated spot and that becomes your workplace till the project is underway. For ‘Yeh Pyaar Nahi Toh Kya Hai’, we are shooting in multiple places of Delhi and Greater Noida which is a completely different experience as the locations are really close to civilisation. It breaks the monotonous nature of our everyday shoots, brings in an exciting flavour of adventure. I am originally from Delhi and have been born and brought up in the capital. So, I do have the privilege of going back home as and when. There is nothing else better than coming home to Ghar ka khana and love of my mother and family after a hard day’s work.

Tell us more about the show!
The show is about present times and how we are living in a world where everything is becoming faster and tend to forget that there are few things in life that need proper nurturing. Relationships need gradual but precise nurturing over a period to reach a space where you can completely trust and understand your partner. Every relation will have issues and there can never be quick fixes or solutions. One needs to sit and communicate with patience and love to find an appropriate solution to make things work.

How about your experience of working with the co-stars?
After being finalised in Mumbai to play the leads for this show, Palak (Palak Jain, the female lead) and I did a 3-day workshop & then reading sessions with our director Jay sir! That’s when we got to know each other. I am looking forward to more screen time with Manish sir who is an excellent actor. I strongly feel that we can learn from each person around us all the time.

You have had multiple interactions with lawyers. Did you have any plans to become a lawyer in real life?
Well, life has beautiful ways of preparing you for things coming your way. Last year I sub-consciously watched multiple lawyer-based TV shows and suddenly I had to find lawyers for a personal issue related to the property. I was in touch with few lawyers before I hired one. Fortunately, everything was sorted and before I knew I was offered to play the role of a lawyer.

The show talks about a different story that is relatable to today’s generation.
Our show isn’t a typical love story that we are all used to watching but at the same time, it is a story of two people who are in love but have kept that feeling suppressed due to various reasons like misunderstandings and ego. Relationships turn sour if they are not based on open and honest communication about everything. It is important to discuss things rather than keep them within you and make assumptions about the other people.

Let us know about your previous assignments as an actor!
I played Ranveer Raichand in Vikram Bhatt’s popular web series Twisted! It’s crime-suspense thriller and I played opposite Nia Sharma.

What prompted you to leave modelling?
I achieved everything that a male model can achieve in our country.. from doing all the main fashion weeks, season after season as the pool model to campaigns for top brands in the country,TVC etc. There was nothing more left for me to do apart from the same job. That’s what lead me to move on to bigger better things and I started to focus on my acting skills, but haven’t left modelling.

We would definitely like to know about your lifestyle. What attire suits you the best?
Casual track pants, hoodies, t shirts, sneakers, solid colour shirts and well fitted comfortable jeans. I basically like easy comfort wear. At the same time being a model for so many years I know I can pretty much pull off any outfit when required so I keep it simple!

What clothes do you like to prefer in summer?
Well, I like shorts, t-shirts, ganjis, sneakers and a pair of nice sunglasses! I have been pretty busy working in Delhi but when I’m free I like to stay indoors during the day then head to a pool side in the evening for a dip. I drink a lot of water and cool hydrating drinks.

Give our valuable suggestion on how to deal with summer for our young readers!
Drink as much water as you can.. challenge yourself to drink more water than the previous day! It will do you a lot of good! Also don’t forget to put sunscreen when going out
during the day!