Back to reality...with a fiction show : Shabbir Ahluwalia

The actor with unconventional looks and a raw, earthy appeal returns as Datta on Laagi Tujhse Lagan on Colors. It’s been quite a while since Shabbir Ahluwalia was seen in a fiction show as he has been busy with his production company and some reality shows. In his last fiction show Kayamath Shabbir played a die-hard romantic and now he plays a gangster. It was this challenge that prompted the actor in him to sign on the dotted line. In a rare interview the media-shy Shabbir talks about his return, Laagi, his production house and more. You seem to have become a favourite with Colors. Colors is like coming home as I have been working with Colors for the past two and a half years. I have done a lot of shows like Dancing Queen, Fear Factor, and Guinness World Record so it’s like home coming especially when you have a show like Laagi Tujhse Lagan which is powerful and impactful. So when you have a role like Datta and a channel like Colors who could say no. It’s a great reunion again for me with Colors and television because after two and a half years I have come back to fiction. It has really been a while since you did fiction. Why did you stay away for so long? I was hosting shows at that time and then I had my own production company to look after. Actually there was too much on my plate and I would never do television just for the sake of doing it. I can only do television (soaps) when I have time to do and now that I have time I have come back. Ganga Kii Dheej which was produced by you just went off-air. What do you think were the major reasons of it being pulled off-air? There were no issues. It was just a mutual decision. With IPL coming in they wanted to slot new shows after the cricket season was over. That’s it. Your production house is working on a new show; can you tell us something about it? Yes, we are coming with a show but I can’t talk about it. The audience has seen Mishal Raheja as Datta you’re going to enter into somebody else’s shoes. Do you think that the audience will accept you? I am not thinking about the audience accepting me or not but I hope they accept me. Mishal did a fantastic job for Datta and Laagi Tujhse Lagan. It’s a fantastic role and generally people tend to have a liking for roles like these hence, when the role was offered to me I took up the challenge. I hope that I live up to the expectations of my fans, viewers and everyone watching this show. I just hope they like and accept me. Tell us something about your entry on the show? It’s a dhamaal and very different entry. Generally in most of the work I have done I have come in and beaten people, helped, rescued or killed people. But here for the first time I will be tied to the chains, to the wall and to the chair. Atyachar that I have done to others will happen to me. The tables have turned and it’s going to be fun. The entire feel to the entry is very dark and very gloomy. And when it comes to playing roles like these I just love it. Khatron Ke Khiladi is back with Akshay Kumar as host. Did you miss him the last season? Priyanka (Chopra) herself did a fantastic job and Akshay himself is a Khatron Ka Khiladi so I think it’s a great combination. And I think he does a fantastic job as a host and so did Priyanka. So it’s not like I have missed Akshay or liked Priyanka but I think both are good in their respective areas and they are real good hosts. Have you seen this season of Khatron Ke Khiladi? I did see a bit of Fear factor and it’s very nice. South Africa is a beautiful place so when all the locations and stunts come together they look really outstanding. We have heard that you’re dating somebody. I won’t be able to tell you anything.