MUMBAI:You will now be playing the double role- Rama and Bhaskar, who will exist parallely on screen. How difficult or easy is it shooting now?

It’s exciting but it has become really hectic. Earlier, Rama and Bhaskar were never in the same scene. But now that Rama is back for real, we have only been shooting scenes with Rama and Bhaskar back to back. So, first I do all scenes for Rama and then I go back to change into Bhaskar’s look, which takes around 30-45 minutes. After that, I do scenes for Bhaskar’s character. Since we have 2 sets, I am often supposed to shoot on different sets, one by one the same day. This makes it really hectic and there’s no time to rest now. However, it does feel good to be working hard for something that the audience truly appreciates.

How does it feel to be back as the actual Rama?

Rama has that spark. Even as an actor, when I play the role of Rama, something really special comes out of my performance automatically. When I was shooting the promo for Rama, I felt that spark and everyone actually praised that performance. Rama’s aura in itself is very strong and divine, which I eventually feel within me every time I do scenes for Rama’s character.

Will this change in the story affect your performance for both the characters- Rama and Bhaskar?

Now, I will be able to play Bhaskar’s character way differently than I was doing before. Earlier, I was playing two characters simultaneously but now I will be able to differentiate between the two. So, I will try to make the characters of Bhaskar and Rama different because earlier, since Bhaskar was disguised as Rama, certain traits of his would be seen in Rama’s character as well. With this change, I will get a better chance to perform as an actor and I am really looking forward to it.

What more should the viewers expect from the Naya Adhyaay of Tenali Rama?

Viewers love Rama. I have always been getting these messages of ‘Bring back Rama’. So, the fact that Rama is back has already made the viewers happy. A lot more of father-son relationship will be shown between Rama and Bhaskar. We are also bringing back the entire flavor with lots of fun and interesting question solving. Moreover, we are getting back Amma (Nimisha Vakharia) and this will bring back the fun on screen.

How has the journey been until now, with Tenali Rama?

I have had a lot of transitions in this show itself. It has been really overwhelming as I got to depict different shades of a character. Along with various changes on screen, I personally have had a great experience because I had to bring in a lot of changes in myself. For example, for the role of Rama, I was supposed to be bald but when Bhaskar’s character was brought in, I was then supposed to grow hair. Later, when Bhaskar had to disguise himself as Rama, I again had to shave my head. So, it has been quite a journey. Honestly, I also miss the old cast because I spent the maximum time with them.