Ex-cricketer, now an actor, Abhinandan Jindal has an army background too!

Abhinandan Jindal, isn’t the name amazing? Well turns out that Abhinandan, who has been seen in shows such as Thakpi Pyar Ki and Krishna Chali London and is currently part of Guddan Tumse Na Ho Payega, was given his name by his grandmother, who he was very close to. “My nani was the one who kept my name Abhinandan. I will share a very emotional episode with you. I was shooting for Krishna Chali London in Lucknow and there was a scene where I had to laugh, make people laugh and dance. After the mastershot, I got to know that my nani has passed away. But I completed my shooting. I am sure you know how I felt, but I didn’t let it affect my work. And I did every thing in one take. After that, the unit got to know, Saurabh (Tiwari, creator) sir came to me and said if you want to go home, go, but I didn’t because they 3-4 days of schedule was left,” he says.

Abhinandan has always been close to his family. “I was shy and always a mumma’s boy. My hometown is Chandigarh, and I was not keen to come to Mumbai. My father was in the Army and he was fond of acting. He came to Mumbai and also met a lot of actors and clicked pictures with them. I, on the other hand, was keen on cricket and played for nine years but due to injury I had to leave the sport,” he says.

After this, the actor joined the glamour world. “After I left cricket, I started going to a gym in Mohali. I have been always fond of fitness. One day when I was working out a person came to me and offered me a print campaign. That point of time I was not even aware of what print modelling was. That was the starting point,” he says.

His family supported him in fulfilling his dreams, says Abhinandan. “I am a lucky son who have got the best parents in this world. My mother has been my idol and she has never left me alone. She taught me tolerance and the meaning of dedication. My father being in the army is a strict disciplinarian but he has given me full freedom in acting,” he says.

However, then his struggle in the industry began. “When I was modelling, I used to travel from Chandigarh to Delhi and used to go to door-to-door for seeking work. I have always believed you can never be an actor by just sitting in an airconditioned room. I became the lead face in the world of modelling and then one of my pictures appeared in a film magazine and a production house spotted me. Though I was not selected for the role but that was my first exposure to auditions and I really liked the experience,” he says.

The actor has been part of many shows but a few are the closest to his heart. “I have been lucky to be able to show my versatility as an actor. Sasural Simar Ka was my debut as a lead and I just cannot forget it. It was a sophisticated character, from a royal family. In Thapki Pyar Ki, I played a tapori, the accent was of a loverboy, very emotional. Another show, JijiMaa, was significant as after the first episode only, I got a call from the production house of Saurabh Tiwari for the show Krishna Chali London. So, I was directly recommended by the channel. In that show, I played a cameo for 1-2 months but it was a lead character and I made the character how it turned out to be. Jay Mehta sir also knows this and he, till date, wants to cast me in his shows. That was a flamboyant character, like Aamir Khan’s role in Secret Superstar. I put in all my energy in that. It was really impactful and which is why I got to play a proper kanpuriya in Krishna Chali London,” he says.

He adds, “Besides these, Munna in Thakpi Pyar Ki is my favourite because, as Munna, I have played various shades on screen. The team of Thapki was also good. It was a changing point in my career. Saajan of Krishna Chali London also was very close to me. I am a lucky actor to get all these roles,” he says.

Talking about being part of Guddan Tumse Na Ho Payega, Abhinandan says, “I joined the show Guddan Tumse Na Ho Payega in September and then there was a gap for a month. Now I am back in the show again. Aarav is a protective brother to Guddan and to him, his sister is his world. I do look a bit different in the show now. Previously my look was a bit raw but now it is more mature.”