Monica Sehgal
The lead actors of Dosti... Yariyaan.. Manmarzian... are as diverse as their characters. We talk to them about their roles, bonding off-screen and more
Aham Sharma (Arjun Mehra)
About bagging the role of Arjun, a mysterious guy with a past, who joins the advertising agency Bird Song, where the rest of the main characters work, Aham says, “I played Karna in Mahabharata and having worked with Swastik Productions earlier, they called me for an audition of this role.”
About the shades of grey in his character, Aham says, “This is just the beginning; the different layers of the character are yet to be revealed… Let the tale unfold… The role is enacted according to the given situations. People can relate to the character as it has many facets.
“In real life too I have different dimensions and that is the reason I love this character and opted to perform it… Such characters are very complex and I bet there is a lot more to offer.”
When asked whether he will eventually be paired opposite Sam or whether Neil will steal her, he says, “It’s all fun…you guys need to keep guessing. He is smart and he always sees to it that whatever he has never goes to anyone else.”
About his personal life, Aham, says, “I am from Patna. My dad wanted me to be an engineer but I wanted to act. So after working in a government job for a while, I moved to Mumbai and attended acting workshops. I also did theatre. I debuted with Chand Ke Par Chalo and did a couple of other shows and films too.
“I am a happily married man,” he says, adding, “My wife is not from the industry but she is not insecure at all as we share a great rapport.”
Sharavan Reddy (Neil)
Talking about his character Neil, Sharavan says, “I am a happy-go-lucky guy in the show. ”
About the show’s future, he adds, “We are not aware of how it will unfold so I do not know whether I will be paired opposite Radhika or Sam. In fact the writers like to pen in accordance to the taste of the audiences. Things change on a day to day basis. Everything depends on the reaction of the audiences.
“While auditioning, I was clearly told, ‘If this character does not work, the show will not work’. The character takes everything in his stride positively; even if something is not right, he doesn’t get stressed out.”
On a personal note, he says, “When I get stressed in real life, I like to be by myself. I am a private person and I do not share much with others. I like to read fiction.”
Asked whether he will emerge as the sole male lead of the show or whether he will have to share the limelight with Arjun, he says, “It’s an ensemble cast and everyone has his own take and the character acts according to the situation. This is not a conventional show. We are trying to present some relatable modern tales. People easily relate to all the characters and everyone is given a fair chance to be able to showcase their potential through their performances.”
Monica Sehgal (Radhika)
This is my debut show. I am happy about my character and the fact that it does give the feel as though it’s the main lead,” says Monica, who plays Radhika, arguably the show’s main lead and the girl who binds everyone together in the show.
Originally from Ujjain, Monica, a state-level badminton player, shifted to Mumbai to join St. Xavier’s College, but ultimately decided to pursue her acting dreams after auditioning for and getting the role of Radhika.
About her character, she says, “I cannot say how my character will pan out in the future. But being from a small town, I can identify with the character. Her story seems to be similar to mine as I too wanted to pursue my dreams of making my own identity.
“I remember when we had gone on a promotional trip to Bhyander, a suburb in Mumbai, people came to me for autographs. Some ladies came with their families and told me that they had taken extra pains to dress up etc. to click photographs with me… I was in seventh heaven.”
Kashmira Irani (Sam)
Swastik Productions loved my performance as a conjoined twin in the show Amber-Dhara and the writer penned the character of Sam with me in mind. The character is very realistic and I am happy to portray Sam, with her many layers,” says Kashmira.
Talking about Sam’s best friend Neil hating her possible love-interest Arjun, Kashmira says, “In friendship, at times you do encounter such situations, this is possessiveness. I believe friends have a great vibe and if they really like each other they will go out of their ways to protect their friends. Similar to the show, we are all buddies even off screen.”
On her personal life, she adds, “Currently, I am single but I am happy as this is the best phase of my life as an actor, I have no complaints. “My mother is happy that I am excelling as an actor. We are from Pune and I have completed my acting course from New York,” she says, adding, “I love travelling and as soon as I get some time, I will travel to Miami, Greece and Rome.”
