Switch in time

Having appeared in a few Punjabi music videos,Arora decided to shift base to Mumbai a year ago. “I started out with print campaigns for local brands. I will now star in a Nescafe commercial with Deepika Padukone,” says the advocate who also made it to MTV Roadies season 7 but lost out in the final line-up. He has also starred in a two-episode role in Sony Television’s CID. “There is no harm in starring in soaps. They are equally dramatic and after my work in CID,I have another offer for a new Star Plus soap,” he adds.

“Having visited many casting directors,I know that if I were to try for commercial cinema,I would be another face in the crowd,an extra character working on the sidelines,” says Arora who is interested in participating in reality shows as well. “I have also been selected for UTV’s reality show Big Switch and the shoot will start in September,” he adds.

“It’s not easy moving to Mumbai if one has no contacts. I was lucky to have some friends who were already working in the television industry. They egged me on to give acting a shot,” says Arora,who hails from Bassi Pathana,a small town in the Fatehgarh Sahib district of Punjab. “My father was keen that I pursue law,though I wanted to be a actor,” says Arora.

Big Switch will air on UTV Bindass and is inspired by Slumdog Millionaire. Contestants on the show are switched from a life of luxury to one in the slums. “Back home I live in a palatial house while in Mumbai,I am just another paying guest in a cramped one room flat. I should be able to pull through the show,” says Arora.