By Shubhangi Jha
New Delhi, July 17 (IANS): It has taken Karan Kundra three years to come back to the fiction genre on the small screen after gaining prominence with "Kitani Mohabbat Hai". The actor is wary of the hectic lifestyle of a "daily soap" artist, but he says he will never leave the world of television behind him for Bollywood.
"Television has made me what I am. It has also got me a break in Bollywood. I'll never say goodbye to TV. Look at how big stars are doing shows on TV too these days," Karan told IANS in an interview here.
But what the 29-year-old doesn't want is to be tied down by the pressures of a daily soap actor.
"I'm a traveller. I cannot just stay in Bombay (Mumbai) and shoot for 30 days. I refuse to have a life, where you get up at 7 a.m., go for a shoot travelling for two hours outside of Mumbai just because it's cheap to shoot there... then shoot for 15 hours, come back and again wake up at 7 a.m. and do the same thing.
"I will keep doing films, theatre and also travelling," he said.
For now, he is kicked about embarking on a new journey in telly-land with "Fanaah - An Impossible Love Story", MTV's season-based show focussing on love in a supernatural setting.
As interesting as it may sound, Karan, who was even seen as the host of teenage crime-based TV series "Gumraah - End Of Innocence", will play the role of a vampire in "Fanaah...".
Talking about his role, he said: "He's a vampire who is very real... He has a good side as well as a bad side. He's pretty much of a devil who is confident to show off his aggression. He's an extremist when it comes to love. When he loves, he would love the way nobody would, and when he will hate, he will hate like nobody hates as well."
Karan is happy playing a vampire in the show, which is due to air starting July 21.
"I have done a lot of whacky stuff in my career. (I've played) A brooding businessman, a driver, a Punjabi rockstar, a singer, a vampire, a crazy psychopath killer, a loverboy... I think I'll be covering everything that I can (in my career). (I think) Vampires are very sexy, and I am really happy playing that."
The actor has already debuted into Bollywood with "Horror Story", and has also featured in Punjabi films. His new slate of Hindi films is set.
"My next movie is a pshychological thriller called 'Rum Pum Posshh' in which I am starring with Prateik Babbar. 'Dilphire', which is going to release in February, is another movie for which I recently shot in Agra," he said.
While Karan enjoys a huge fan following, he says "the most difficult part for me was getting in the industry".
"I don't have a godfather. I'm not a star's son. I don't have a sister who is already an actress and is supporting me. I'm not a Kapoor or a Khan. I am a plain Kundra. It's going to take more time to get the stardom that I have always wanted," said the tall and handsome young actor, who found fame with his arrogant but passionately romantic character of Arjun Punj in the show "Kitani Mohabbat Hai".
Looking back at his success story, he said: "I have survived it on my own. Even if Arjun of 'Kitani...' wouldn't have clicked with the audience, I had little choice at that time. But now, I can choose my roles and I don't want to be stereotyped in a particular image or genre.
"I only want to do challenging roles, whether it's action, romance or horror."