Dheeraj Dhoopar opens up on spending 15 years in acting industry

For Dheeraj Dhoopar, time has gone by in the blink of an eye as he completes 15 years in the television industry this year. However, the actor believes he still has “a long way to go”. He adds, “I entered the industry when I was 27. I gave two of the biggest shows on Indian TV — Sasural Simar Ka and Kundali Bhagya — which ran for a total of 13 years.”

The 39-year-old’s entry into the world of acting happened because his mum told him “that I resembled (actor-host) Hussain Kuwajerwala and I should try acting on TV”. He began his career with Maat Pitaah Ke Charnon Mein Swarg and was seen in shows like Naagin, Sherdil Shergill and more.

Reminiscing about his characters, Dhoopar insists, “I was never the typical male lead of a TV serials. With Karan Luthra (his character in Kundali Bhagya), I got global fandom.” He adds that with Saubhagyavati Bhava: Niyam Aur Shartein Laagu, he got to explore his darker side: “I’ve always played positive roles, but I loved playing a negative character.”

While some actors leave television to venture into OTT and films, he isn’t one of them. Dhoopar says, “I never want to leave TV as I am what I am because of this industry. Why should I leave this for something that may or may not happen?” The actor, who featured in the web series Tatlubaaz (2023), adds, “I would like to be a part of all mediums, simultaneously, and don’t want to quit one for another.”

He is proud of being an actor on the small screen but reveals he has faced discrimination because of the medium “many times”. “I could see it in people’s eyes. I would get invited to the biggest award shows and notice a stark difference in the attention given to the film stars and me. I used to feel bad. I’m not saying treat them lesser than but treat us as equals. I’m here because of the work that I have done on TV,” he wraps up.

Dhoopar also credits the biggest part of his successful journey to his actor-wife, Vinny Arora Dhoopar. “She took a break in her career to make me big. She took care of our son Zayn, and I can work peacefully knowing she is there. There cannot be a story about Dheeraj without Vinny,” he ends.