Anupamaa producer Rajan Shahi was warned not to cast Gaurav Khanna as Anuj Kapadia, he was ‘jinxed’: ‘He had not done a serial for 6-7 years’

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Rajan further shared, “A lot of people, including some celebrities, told me that Gaurav’s shows didn’t work; he is jinxed. And I hate when someone says that. I have heard these things about me in the beginning, so it makes me furious. Everything has its own synergy and fate; one person cannot be responsible for determining that.”

Despite the advice, Rajan Shahi went ahead to cast Gaurav Khanna in Anupamaa. “I asked my team to contact Gaurav Khanna, who was shooting for a web series at that time. I had locked Gaurav right then, but I told him that I would test if he works out and then do a three-year contract. Sometimes he says he just had a cameo in the show. If that was the case, why would I sign a three-year contract with him? But I had told him that I couldn’t guarantee how long he would be on the show because that depends on the track.  After we spoke, he gave a look test, and I narrated the script to him two days before the shoot. I never took his audition; in fact, I told him the story while I was at the immigration counter at the Serbia airport. We discussed the money and everything while I was in transit. I met him in person three months after he began shooting.”

 

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Rajan Shahi also lauded Gaurav Khanna for making his character Anuj Kapadia a hit amongst the audience. He said, “There was a lot of confidence in Anuj’s character. By the time Gaurav joined, Rupali had taken Anupamaa to greater heights. But Gaurav had that hunger to prove himself; he hadn’t done a serial for 6-7 years, so he gave the show his best.”

After Anupmaaa, Gaurav Khanna went on to participate in Celebrity MasterChef, and he won the show. Now, he is on Bigg Boss 19 and is also the highest-paid contestant on the show.