Exclusive! Gaurav Arora: If you can’t imagine me long haired and bulky in Aadha Ishq, then I have a bigger surprise in Asur 2

Gaurav Arora has been making the waves on OTT since Asur. The actor, who made his debut with Raaz Reboot, will now be seen in Aadha Ishq opposite Aamna Sharif. He, however, also promises that his look in Asur 2 will beat even this series. OTTplay talks to the actor about his upcoming series, how he feels it is different from what we have seen and much more. Excerpts…

After making your debut in films, you are now making waves on OTT. Would you say it has given you another opportunity to put yourself out there?

Not just me, everyone associated with the creative field - be it directors, writers, technicians, actors. We've got this new technology we enjoy and love it. Just a few years ago, there was TV and theatre. In between, there was nothing for us. TV has a very limited audience and then, theatres. So, in between there was a huge gap that was missing. I just feel that with this, it has given an opportunity to all of us.

I think you're trying to say that OTT has everything from TV series to films to web series and even plays (theatre)...

Yeah, yeah. Documentaries, short films...

In Aadha Ishq, you play a lover who is in a complicated relationship with a daughter and mother. Is that correct?

It is a very intense love story where the mother and daughter fall in love with the same man. It's not just a love story but has lots of twists and turns to hook you to your seats till the end. Of course, the locations. The scenic backdrops of Kashmir and Mussoorie adds a lot of value and a lot of character as well.

Can you give me some more details, in the sense that what are we looking forward to with Aadha Ishq?

As the series unfolds, we see Rene fall in love with a man called Saahir. He has had a torrid, romantic affair with her mother, Roma. Now, he has come back after a separation of 10 years in both of their lives. His intentions are not same anymore. He's dubious, has come back for revenge or to harm her. He's not the same guy anymore.

Are you trying to tell me that the story is going on in two timelines?

Yes, the present and past. There's a non-linear narrative which in itself is quite an exciting thing. It also has really nice old world charm to it. It has poetry, painting and love story set in the mountains. It is old-school romance.

When I hear about this story, it sounds pretty much like Dark Desire. What would have to say about that?

No, that would be wrong. Not every gangster film can be compared to Godfather, right? (Lets out a small giggle) So, every love story cannot be the same. It's not like that. You'll have to watch the series to understand it better. The mother and daughter fall for the same man. He has dubious intentions and has come back for it after 10 years. There's a lot in him that he's coming back for. I can't reveal more than that.

From what Aamna told me, this is the story of unrequited love. Is that true?

Yes, of course. It's unrequited love, it is impossible. It's something you can't let go of and at the same time, not even be in. It gets very intense. It has a lot of heartbreak, intensity and romance to it as well.

That is somewhat the story of your first film Raaz Reboot. What difference can we expect here?

No, not at all. Raaz didn't really do that well. After that, the four years that I had, I sat in my house and thought about what I would do next. The only thing I did is work on my craft. I did Asur and now the second season is coming. We also have Aadha Ishq. It's such varied characters. When I talk about two time zones, I'm actually fortunate to play the character of Saahir because he goes through a massive transition. I haven't done that in my past and an actor really looks for a part like this because there's a huge transformation in him. I had to lose weight when I was playing another timeline. The body language had to be different. There's beard and longer hair. There's been physical and emotional transformation.

I cannot imagine Gaurav as someone with long hair and bulky, let me tell you this.

Really? I think you will be surprised when you see Asur.

You have been a part of Asur, Broken and Kaali Peeli Tales. What is your thought process when picking scripts on OTT?

There's no difference as such. We shot Aadha Ishq and Asur like a film. It was a start-to-finish schedule. We went to Mussoorie, Dehradun, Rishikesh, Gulmarg. It's actually the story, setup and character that attracted me.

Is Broken 4 happening?

I have no idea about it. Right now, I would say this series has all the romance it can and I hope it does well. It's important for all of us. I've really tried and internalize this character. I hope it works well.

We know that you are a part of Asur 2. Did you get more projects? What is happening in your life?

I'm just waiting for these releases so I get much more work and the kind that I want to do, in the future. There are things going on but till the time it doesn't happen, there's no point talking about it.