DHAIRYA KARWA STANDING ON THE BRINK OF STARDOM

The data analyst-turned-model, who made his debut in Uri with a short but robust part, graduated to Deepika Padukone’s leading man in Gehraiyaan in just three years. The actor, standing on the brink of stardom, talks about a rank outsider’s journey into Bollywood

- ANANYA GHOSH

It is a joy to interview someone in person. It is midweek and past noon, but the suburban café is packed to the brim: The tables are mostly occupied by people glued to their laptop screens, some talking animatedly on zoom calls, and at one corner, a popular television couple is having a lazy afternoon with their cute dog. Although Mumbaikars are famous for their nonchalance when it comes to spotting celebs, I am still a bit apprehensive about the location. But Dhairya Karwa, the man of the moment, walks in as unnoticed as a 6'4 tall person can. Yes, the first thing you notice about this 31-year-old towering personality is the height. But once you sit down for a chat, the Gehraiyaan guy stuns you with the depth of his thoughts. Although his last movie saw him playing the lead opposite Deepika Padukone, his is no overnight success. He is yet to get mobbed by the fans on the streets or get papped at every outing. The three-film new actor is not delusional when it comes to fame. But he is here for the long haul.

"Fame is a big part of what we do, and of course, one wants to become famous. But first, one needs to have a career; fame and money will follow eventually. I wanted the work opportunities to open up and that is happening. I started off doing smaller parts in an interesting project, Gehraiyaan was a bigger role, and now I am in talks on a project where I might be playing the central character. So, the trajectory is going well. Gehraiyaan was a big step in the right direction," he smiles.