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Actor Akashdeep Saigal on his television comeback: My audience was manifesting it
Actor Akashdeep Saigal returns to Indian television after a decade, excited for his role in Naagin 7. He reflects on personal growth and more
After a decade-long hiatus, actor Akashdeep Saigal is all set for his return to Indian television, driven, he says, “I am overwhelmed the way the audience is anticipating my comeback.”.
Best remembered for his iconic role as Ansh in the television soap Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi season 1, the actor says, "More than me, I feel my audience was manifesting my comeback, to see me back on screen. Every once in a while, when I came back on my social media accounts, I was bombarded with questions: 'When will you be back?' But it has to happen when it’s destined and as per God’s wish."
Reflecting on his past success, Akashdeep recalls the abrupt end of the show’s journey. "Kyunki was going great for me, too, but the show went off air back then. And it’s a co-incidence that the show is also back for its second season," he says. The actor believes the work he did at the time was "much ahead of time." Post-Kyunki, Akshdeep ventured into cinema, doing "a lot of work films down south," but he notes that the audience still loves him playing a baddie. "Now, when I am coming back, it once again has to be bigger and better," he asserts.
"This timing is pretty aligned for me to come back on screen. And you will see me doing more work across mediums and industries," he reveals. He wants to focus on the quality of the role: "Any story that is meaningful with constant characters will be more than enough for me to be part of that project." He attributes his new role in the popular franchise to a cosmic alignment. "I am not in any kind of competition with anyone; I am just flowing with time. Like right now, me and Ektaa [Kapoor] aligned on Naagin 7, and the role just clicked with me. I am putting all my heart into it. It’s my first fantasy-thriller, so I am all on my toes to step into a powerful world after all these years. I was excited to be back in front of the camera after years, sab badal gya ya kuch bhi nahin badla.”
About his absence from the screen for nearly ten years, the actor describes it as a period of personal evolution. “Time actually flies; ten years went by, but main kahin gaya hi nahi," he explains.
"You can say I shifted my focus on inner growth. I am glad to have gotten that time to explore more than my profession paisa toh kama hi leta hain insaan, evolution as a good human being is much more necessary."
The actor clarifies that he was not in "some kind of hibernation, hiding from people." Instead, he was busy "with things like writing, understanding life, and living close to nature." This period of introspection has culminated in a massive literary project: "I completed the scriptures that I am hoping to be out as books some time soon. It will be an edition of 34 books, a two-part library, and is about my understanding of life and the mother divine.”
