‘COMING FROM HINDI BELT GIVES ME AN EDGE’

The Family Man and Candy actor Aditya Syal feels it’s not easy to find a place in the industry but as a complete package anyone can achieve that dream.

“Being from Lucknow and Nainital I have command over language and accent that is required in the industry.

Coming from Hindi belt gives me an edge. Besides, I trained myself in theatre, bodybuilding and backend production work. So far things are good and I hope it will get better from here,” says the youngster, 26.

Talking about his roots he says, “I was born in Lucknow and lived there as a kid as it’s my mother’s hometown. My parents tried to get me admitted to La Martiniere College which did not happen so I got enrolled in St Joseph’s College in Nainital where my father owns a hotel. In between, for two years I was at a boarding school in Haryana as well. We still have a printing press in Lucknow and a house in Gomti Nagar where I keep going back to.”

Syal very early identified what he wanted to do. “I was good in mimicry. When I was in Class V it was then I told my father that I want to become a hero! Since he was a movie buff and my mother used to do plays so they encouraged me. Same year I staged an act in the show Boogie Woogie with Javed Jaffri which gave me instant recognition.”

Syal started preparing himself very early. “After Class 10, I got into body building and started training under Idress Mallik, an NSD alumni. I shifted to Mumbai in 2016 and took up a graduation course. I got a photo shoot done and got into modelling. I became Mr North India. For Nadira (Babbar) maam’s theatre group Ekjut I did a play

Operation Cloudburst. I started doing workshops and joined Mukesh Chhabra sir and under his production did play Charandas Chor directed by Hemant Pandey where I played parallel.”

It was the play that got Syal break on OTT. “Mukesh sir auditioned me for Family Man where I played Junaid and also assisted in production. In Candy I played two characters mask man Massan and the garage guy. In between I completed post-graduation from Drama School Mumbai. Thereafter I got web-show Bhartiya Gym Qtiyapa where my Haryanvi boy character became very popular.”

Syal is shooting his next series with the same production house from March 24. “TVF signed me for their next venture, a youth-based comedy show. I will be doing two music videos including one for music-director and singer Shekar Ravjiani (Vishal-Shekar). I have already shot a cover song for his song

he concludes.