Mumbai, Sep 20 (IANS): 'Choti Sarrdaarni' actor Hitesh Bhardwaj talks about being part of the TV serial 'Udaariyaan' after the show has taken a leap of 15 years and the lead cast Priyanka Choudhary, Isha Malviya, and Ankit Gupta left it. He is seen playing the male lead along with Sonakshi Batra and Twinkle Arora.

On getting the opportunity to join the show, he said: "I got a call from the 'Udaariyaan' team a month ago, and they asked me if I was busy with any other project or not. I had my audition, we had a few meetings, script discussions and then I was finalised. I am happy to be part of this show."

Hitesh is playing the character of Akampreet Singh Randhawa who is an honest person.

He added: "Initially I followed the show and really liked the script. But later because of time issues I couldn't watch the episodes. I've always loved the show and felt very happy when it received a good response by the audience."

While talking about the changing scenario in the TV industry, he asserted that nothing has changed much and it is only the hard work that matters.

"Often we have been asked about the changes we find in the industry over the years. I feel there are no changes as such. We still work like that, just the patterns change. There is no alternative to hard-work," he added.

The 30-year-old actor, who was seen in daily soaps such as 'Agar Tum Saath Ho', 'Iss Mod Se Jaate Hain' and others spoke about the kind of response he is receiving from the audience after 'Chhoti Sardarni' especially in Punjab.

"After 'Chhoti Sardarni', there is a different feel in Punjab and it's still maintained in that way. It's a different high for an actor when you feel your work is getting praised and loved by the audience. Once, when I was travelling we stopped at a dhaba for lunch where the people recognised me and treated me in a very special way. And still now, after 2 more shows, the love I get from Punjab makes me feel super grateful and thankful. I have a soft corner for Punjab."