Aashim Gulati: My earlier work has been my learning ground

Actor Aashim Gulati finds it gratifying the way he has been able to keep his career graph up in recent time.

“The kind of work I am doing now was something I always wanted to do but at that time I had no choice. To see the brighter side of it, maybe I was not prepared for such characters back then. It has been a 12-year long journey but to be honest I prefer not to regret any of my choices. In fact, I stand by them because my earlier work has been my learning ground. Maine kuch na kuch sikha hi hai while I have been working – be it on television or films. After working on a film I got the right exposure and I realised how big an actor’s playground can be,” says the U-Turn and Hostages actor on his visit to Hindustan Times office in Lucknow on Tuesday.

Gulati calls it sheer luck to have got an opportunity to be able to work with legendary actor Naseer(uddin Shah) sir. “When I got to play Salim in Taj: Divided by Blood, I was on cloud nine as this project ticked all the boxes for me. Be it the makers, co-actors and above all its story, it all fell in the right place. I mean who doesn’t want to be part of a historical saga where you get to share screen space with an artiste who an institute in himself. But I had to leave that fan boy in me at the story reading table else it would have been really challenging to do justice to the role.”

The actor is looking forward to his upcoming series along with other projects. “Choona, directed by Pushpendra Nath Misra, was extensively shot in Lucknow. I was for a long time trying to do some time that has strong element of thrill and shades of the dark world. It’s followed by Ruhi the Virgin along with Homi Adajania’s Murder Mubarak,” shares Gulati who is a trained diver and plans a vacay to an ocean soon.