Ashish Vidyarthi: From His Love For Food To His Near Death Experience On A Film Set, He Reveals His Lesser Known Side In This Interview

Ashish Vidyarthi, the National Award-winning actor, is soon going to star in the upcoming series, Sunflower on ZEE5. The talented and celebrated actor has been very well-known for his roles in the Hindi films Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, Haseena Maan Jaayegi, Bollywood Diaries, Haider, and Aligarh. Today, we interviewed the actor, to know more about his life and his experience while working in Sunflower. Ashish Vidyarthi shared some great insights and optimistic views about his life. Take a look at the complete interview.

Are you a morning person or a night person?

Ashish Vidyarthi said that he loves waking up early and is a ‘very early morning person.’ “I like to wake up at 4:30-5 am and like to write and record. I kind of disappear by evenings and go to sleep by 9:30 pm, to wake up early,” he said.

What are your top 3 favourite songs?

‘Aa Chal Ke Tujhe, Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Yeh, Babuji Dheere Chalna,’ are his top 3 favourite songs.

Tea or Coffee?

To this, the actor answered, “It depends on where I am.”

Gym or yoga?

“I would like to do both but currently, gravitating towards yoga,” Ashish Vidyarthi said.

Ever used your star status to get away?

The Sunflower actor said that he has used it for small things, like at a restaurant when he needs a seat and everything is reserved.

What was the last lie that you said?

“That I don’t want to eat.”

One thing that makes you angry?

Ashish Vidyarthi said that he can’t resist hunger and it makes him angry.

One bad habit of yours that no one knows about?

“I don’t exercise. I feel like it but don’t.”

What is your cheat meal like?

“Mutton, chicken, fish, basically, all sorts of food, and across cultures – from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, and from Arunachal Pradesh to Gujarat – I love food from all places.”

 

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We’ve mostly seen you play negative roles, but we want to know how you are in real life

“I am a no-nonsense guy. I do not like jokes, and I do not like to make people laugh. And now this will be the last lie I have said. Honestly speaking, those negative characters are just roles. I like to live life with a smile and love to bring a smile to people’s faces. And the key thing is to not take life seriously and to think of a reason to smile through life,” he answered.

The most romantic thing you’ve done?

“I love travelling. For me, life itself is an extraordinary experience, so for me, travel allows me to open more pages and vistas. And that is something I really like romancing with.”

Also read: Sunflower: ZEE5 Reveals The Star Cast Of This Upcoming Web Series Written By Vikas Bahl

Favourite quote you live by?

“’Smile please,’ and ‘Be hopeful for tomorrow.’ Also, when there are times when the situation says something cannot be done, there comes a voice from within you, that says, ‘yeh ho sakta hai,’ and also, ‘picture abhi baaki hai,’ are all my favourite quotes, because they all mean ‘hope’.”

Biggest lesson life has taught you?

“‘This too shall pass.’ Also, I love to be in the wonder of life and love to be excited about new work projects and new things in life.”

A celeb you would want to get stuck on an island with?

Ashish Vidyarthi said that he would like to be stuck with his father, Govind Vidyarthi. He said, “I could not talk too much to him by the time we stopped talking and I would love to be marooned on an island with my father.”

The silliest thing that you last searched on Google?

“Whenever I visit a new place, I search, ‘interesting places to have breakfast at,’ and Google recognizes the ‘interesting’ part and suggests a place just like that.”

One thing you’re guilty of?

“My love for food also gives me certain guilt to carry. People say that I must or must not eat certain things but I love food and am also taking care of myself. So that’s guilt I live with.”

The strangest rumour you have heard about yourself?

“A couple of years back, someone had printed that Priya Prakash Warrier is my daughter.”

Do you have any regrets?

“Regrets allow me to take action, so I have a lot of them. The moment I begin regretting I begin acting upon them. For example, seeing some kind of a role, I think ‘if only I could do it,’ and that makes me want to look for more roles of that kind.”

 

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Your favourite dialogue from any of your films?

“From the 2016 film, Bollywood Diaries, ‘Manzil toh mil hi jaayegi, bhatak kar hi sahi, gumraah toh woh hain jo ghar se nikle hi nahin.’”

Had you had an accident on the set of Bollywood Diaries?

“We were doing a dimple scene with a dubki and they asked me if I was comfortable with it and I said I was. But they forgot to ask the young co-star who was also in the scene if he was okay with it. And as we went ahead into the water, my feet slipped and the young boy held on to me tight, fearing to drown and I yelled and called the director, KD Satyam, and he immediately dived into the water to save us. And even though I was not drowning, there could have been an accident that could have been fatal. So I am just always thankful for the current moment I live in. Seeing myself close to death, I realised that life has chosen to stay with me so I will make it matter.”

What was your initial reaction when you read the script of Sunflower?

“I asked them if they were serious about wanting me for the role. And it seemed very interesting. Over the years, after mostly playing strong characters, it is great to see that people can see me in a character like the one I was offered in Sunflower. I am happy to play this role and enjoyed working in it.”

Also read: Sunflower: The Makers Of Sunil Grover’s Next Unveil The Show’s Logo And It Has Amped Up Our Excitement

Can you tell us something about your character in Sunflower?

“The guy is very particular about his housing society and wants to make sure that only nice people stay there. He holds on to his values and makes sure to dump those onto the world. It is a comment on how building societies are run by some people, who think that only theirs is the right way. So we tried to portray the character without making it a caricature and trying to understand where people like him come from. I have done a lot of caricature roles in my career and this time I enjoyed playing a different character.”

How was the experience shooting during a pandemic?

“Very clearly, it was a period of saying that we will go on despite it, and that’s the spirit of our times. It is not waiting for the storm to pass but to be in action during it. There was a lot of fear but everyone was there, and the production was extraordinary. Right from the directorial team to production, to the actors, everyone created a wonderful environment where we could all go out and be comfortable to perform. Really looking forward to the release.”

How was the experience shooting with Sunil Grover?

“He is a wonderful human being. We would chat and our banters would go beyond humour and would have a lot of depth. It was wonderful working with him.”

How has filmmaking changed?

“It has completely transformed. I am always excited about it, about how stories are told and it’s a great opportunity to be able to go and play different parts. Back then, the stories mostly used to be larger than life, and now more people are coming closer to life and taking slices of life and creating stories of it. Especially in the OTT space, you can nuance your performance and I really enjoy when I can bring out nuances of my character. I enjoy when as an actor I am not only relying on experience as an actor but the life experience as a human being.”

3 reasons to watch Sunflower?

Ashish Vidyarthi said that the three reasons for someone to watch Sunflower, would be 1) It will bring a smile to your face, 2) You will recognize some characters from the building society on the screen in this show, 3) It will allow you to take away something amazing for yourself.

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