Tumm Se Tumm Tak produced by Prateek Sharma and Parth Shah’s Studio LSD continues to captivate audiences with its intense emotional moments and layered storytelling and actor Manraj Singh admits that playing Harshvardhan in this show has been one of the most challenging experiences of his career so far.
Harshvardhan is a character with multiple layers and emotional complexities, something that Manraj says constantly tests him as an actor. “It is always challenging to play characters that have emotional depths. Sometimes in your personal life you might be going through many things, but when you step into your character you have to give your 100 percent because that is what the producers, channel and the audiences expect from you,” he said.
The actor also spoke about the demanding nature of daily soaps schedules where actors have very little time to prepare for scenes. “There are times when you get to know about a scene just 15 minutes before shooting. Those scenes require a lot of emotional investment and control because you have to switch between two very different states of mind. You may not even know what kind of scene is coming up. Sometimes when I reach the set early in the morning for a 7am shift, I feel happy, refreshed and energetic and then suddenly I am told that I have to perform a mental breakdown. Preparing for such scenes in just 15 minutes and delivering your best in one or two takes is tough as time isn’t on our side. As part of a daily soap, you’ve gotta be on your toes and nail a performance that’s real and movie-level. But the feedback makes it all worth it, people notice and appreciate it,” he shared.
The actor also revealed that his journey with the show involved a long wait before his character’s shooting schedule even began. Manraj says," There was a waiting period of almost 3-4 months before my shoot started because the team was building the show as it was a very different concept that we wanted to show. Being committed to the project, I had to wait. When you are part of a daily soap, it becomes even more challenging because sometimes you want to give more to the character but there are many factors involved."
Despite the demanding schedule and challenges, Manraj remains deeply committed to his craft and to portraying Harshvardhan in the most authentic way possible. “I always try to give my one hundred percent to my performance. Even if I don’t get my due today, I believe someday I will. God is there and appreciation from the viewers make all the efforts worthwhile,” he added.
