Didn’t expect ‘Katha Ankahee’ to connect so much with people: actor Adnan Khan

New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) Adnan Khan is inundated with messages for his ongoing serial “Katha Ankahee”, but the actor says he doesn’t want the “overwhelming” success of the TV show to go to his head.

Directed by Ravi Bhushan, the popular Sony TV serial follows Katha, (Aditi Sharma) an architect and a single parent who takes up odd jobs to gather enough money for her ailing son Aarav. When she is unable to put together funds for Aarav’s cancer treatment, she submits to her boss Viaan (Khan)’s condition of spending a night with him.

While Viaan is not the typical TV hero character, the actor credited the nuanced storytelling for bringing back the viewers to the small screen.

“I didn’t expect the show to connect so much with people. It’s overwhelming but at the same time, we don’t let it get to our heads. We think it’s going well for now. There will be both highs and lows.

“The reason why people from different generations are coming back to television to watch our show is because of my director… the way he downplays the drama. The performances speak instead of the typical stuff,” Khan told PTI in an interview here.

The Dubai-born actor, known for shows such as “Ishq Subhan Allah” and “Arjun”, said he was working on his personal projects for the past year as a director, producer, and writer.

Being away from arc lights, he said, made him miss acting.

“I have a feature film script in the works. My own short film, which I produced, directed and wrote, took a major chunk of my life last year. Before it got over, I started missing acting.

“I said God give me something. As soon as I wrapped that up, I did another small project. Then, I got a call from Sony. I said yes to the show without listening to the story. I wanted to audition for it. I got the part,” he added.

At a time when remakes and adaptations tend to generate extreme responses, Khan said he was not discouraged when the makers told him that “Katha Ankahee” is the official Hindi version of the Turkish series “One Thousand and One Nights”.

“There was no apprehension, in fact, there was an inclination. The story has already worked, it’s a beautiful story. I haven’t seen the Turkish original. The director asked if I wanted to see the show, I said no.

“The fact that he had praised it so much I thought that subconsciously maybe I’ll copy the guy if I watch the show. I told him, ‘I’ll give you my interpretation, you can mould it in any way you see fit’. I was excited that it is not a typical drama. This was meant to be,” Khan added.

Not many know that the 34-year-old actor, who used to try out for plays to bunk classes in school, had auditioned for a Zee TV travel show back in 2012.

While he eventually didn’t land the job, watching Will Smith’s drama film “Seven Pounds” made him want to take up acting.

“I grew up in a culture of finance and insurance. I made a lot of money, but something didn’t feel right. I never thought that I’d be an actor. One day, I watched Will Smith’s movie ‘Seven Pounds’. After I finished watching it, I don’t know what happened but I said this is what I want to do. I didn’t know if I wanted to be a storyteller, director, maybe I thought I’ll be an actor,” added Khan, who is a former HR manager.

“(I wanted) To have an impact on people the way that the movie had on me. I told my friends and family, they didn’t take me seriously. They thought he’ll go and come back. I left and I never went back. I’m blessed. It has been fantastic,” he recalled.

The actor, who describes himself as a journeyman who walks around with his backpack on looking for new adventures, said playing a three-dimensional character like Viaan in the daily show is akin to taking up a new challenge every day.

“It is hard as hell. As a man who has played a hero, your ego takes a hit. Exploring these different shades in one character… I haven’t done anything like that. I’m not much of a planner. I’m not one of those guys who keeps an eye on what’s going on in Indian television. I felt this might be good for me,” he said.

Asked if, like its parent show, “Katha Ankahee” will also have a multiple season run, Khan said it was all about ratings on television.

“It might be a limited series. In television, mostly ratings decide the fate of the show. The way that these guys are making the show, it’s like they are very truthful to the story. You never know it might just be a limited series,” he added.

“Katha Ankahee” airs on Sony TV weekdays at 8.30 pm.