Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain 3 actor Gurdeep Kohli: You get moved by the parts you play

Here are some excerpts from the conversation:

After the success of the first two seasons, do you feel there are more expectations from Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain 3?

Honestly, when we started the first season, we had no clue there would be a next one. However, when the second became a super hit, we knew we would come back with the next season. I am sure the audience would love the third season given the kind of storyline and performance. This time, the dynamics between every character has changed. It’s more about each one facing the repercussion of their decisions in the past.

The show has two very strong, yet different kinds of women – Ananya and Poonam. Who do you relate to more?

Poonam is holding her family together and wants the best for them. However, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t love herself or is not progressive. On the other hand, Ananya may be an independent woman, who prioritises her work but she too, wants to have a family at the end of the day. Poonam is vulnerable yet strong. There have been women like her around me, who have tried to keep their families together. But she took her husband’s infidelity because she wanted to keep her daughters protected. I am different in that way and would have shown the door to the man, like Ananya. So yes, there are a few things about both these women that I relate with.

See more

As an actor, does it get challenging to play a part that you somewhere do not relate with?

You learn from every character you play. And you may not relate but the emotions you portray are real. I will never agree to someone who says they can switch on and off in an instant. You get moved by the parts you play. I remember when Rohit was leaving Poonam, I actually felt the pain. I believe divorce is the best thing for a couple caught in an unhappy marriage. However, when there are kids involved, they face the brunt. I would sit and think how terrible it would be for any parent.

Also Read | Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain 3 first impression: A balanced narrative held together by able artistes

While on television it’s normal for young actors to don a mother’s role, the web is considered the more real medium. Were there any kind of apprehensions for you to play a mother to grown-up kids in this show?

I have no qualms in playing a mother even in films but it should have substance. I cannot be a prop mother. In Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain, I am the heroine, so there was no apprehension. Yes, she is a little older to me than real life but I am a mom in real life too. Also, as an actor, one has to grow. I have played lover, wife and a  bahu, so why not a mother now. I feel maternal emotions come very naturally to me.

See more

What is the best compliment you have received for Poonam?

Just to be able to shine among so many strong characters is a big thing for me. I have had many instances when women have come up to me and shared that they could relate to Poonam, and how it moved something in them. Also, a lot of them told me that Poonam deserved someone better than Rohit (laughs). That’s a big achievement for me. I am glad I could do justice to the role.