Arjan Bajwa eager to play Air Force pilot on screen

MUMBAI: Actor Arjan Bajwa says after playing Colonel Sunil Sheoran in his digital debut, "State Of Siege: 26/11", he now wishes to play an Air Force pilot on screen.

On his parameter of choosing scripts, the actor said: "This is the kind of roles I would like to play -- one that potentially creates impact. I think 'State of Siege' has already set the bar. Having said that, I am so eager to play an Air Force pilot in a film. That is what I am dying to play! I fly as a hobby pilot and aviation is my first love."

Created by Abhimanyu Singh and directed by Matthew Leutwyler, the story of the show is based on Sandeep Unnithan's book "Black Tornado: The Three Sieges Of Mumbai 26/11".

The show also features Mukul Dev, Arjun Bijlani, Vivek Dahiya, Sid Makkar, Tara Alisha Berry, Khalida Jaan, Jyoti Gauba, Roshni Sahota, Suzanne Bernert, Naren Kumar and Jason Shah.

Arjan went through an extensive process to get the look and the feel of Colonel Sheoran right. On the show, his protagonist is a commando of National Security Guard (NSG). According to him several conversations with Col Sandeep Sen, who was the second command of Colonel Sunil Sheoran during the 26/11 Mumbai attack, helped him to get a depth and understanding of the character.

"It is true that I always wanted to play a character in uniform on screen, and playing Colonel Sheoran let me do so. I had a feeling that such an opportunity could become a milestone in my career. With the kind of review I am getting, I hope it has become one. I see the journey upwards from here," said the actor who began his career in modelling and also acted in Telugu films before entering Bollywood.

Asked if he feels that the influx of digital entertainment has given the right opportunity for an actor like him, Arjan said: "I wouldn't say so. When it comes to playing a substantial part in a story, I have always done that. All my characters in Bollywood films and the few films I did in South have always been pivotal roles. However, when one plays a character like Colonel Sheoran that releases on an OTT platform, the exposure is much bigger. The show and the actor get good marketing and our work gets better projection."

"State Of Siege: 26/11" is streaming on ZEE5.