Exclusive - Saath Nibhaana Saathiya actor Mohammad Nazim on his struggles: People would say, 'shakal teri achhi hai par body bahut zyada hai' and would reject me

Mohammad Nazim, the man who made women go weak on their knees by his charming looks, is currently doing the TV series,

Tera Mera Saath Rahe

. His claim to fame was the daily soap,

Saath Nibhaana Saathiya

, where he played the role of Ahem Modi. The actor did an exclusive interview with ETimes TV for our

Tellyblazer

segment, where he opened up his heart like never before. Nazim shared about the struggles he underwent to achieve his dream, his aspirations and a lot more in this freewheeling chat. Read more:

Saath Nibhaana Saathiya is one of the iconic shows which has a prequel and a sequel to it. How do you feel about it?
Saath Nibhaana Saathiya is undoubtedly a hit show. The storyline of Tera Mera Saath Rahe is very different. The cast is almost the same but there are a few new people that have joined us and it's great working with them.

How was it bonding again with

Rupal Patel

and Gia Manek?
My experience of working with them has been very great. It never felt like I had left somewhere or we have come on board after several years. It felt like I have continued to work with my old team. Both Rupal and Gia are great co-actors. Whenever I have scenes with my onscreen mother, Rupal Patel, it feels as though she is my mom for real and we share the mother-son rapport with each other.

Have you always been in touch with them?
I haven't managed to stay in touch with Kokila ji (Rupal Patel) but we did have a 'hello hi' in between or if we happened to meet at some functions. Our show ended in 2017, and in 2018-19, I started working on another show and even she was occupied with a different project. In 2020, the lockdown was imposed and when the lockdown was lifted, we started working on Saath Nibhaana Saathiya 2 and then on Tera Mera Saath Rahe. So, I have been in touch with 'Maa' through work. With Gia, we exchanged birthday and festival greetings or if we met at a party or somewhere. However, there hasn't been anything happening for the past 2 years because of the lockdown. But when we started talking, it never felt like we'd met after a long break.

'Rasode Mein Kaun Tha' scene went viral from your show. How did you react after seeing it?
During the lockdown, people spent maximum time on their phones because they had nothing to do. Every kid knew about the video and they would come and ask me, 'Arre, ye aapka show hai na?' (This is your show, right?) Even years after the show went off air, people showed interest in it and the video went viral. It feels so great and I feel really proud that people still remember our work.

Do you feel pressured by the number of followers on social media, does maintaining a super active profile with videos and pics a benchmark in today's age?
I think it is very important but it isn't like the world will come to an end if you don't have enough social media followers. Considering today's time and age, people are connected through social media. It's totally upon you, how you utilise it. It's important to stay connected through social media but it's not like you will lose life, if you don't stay active. There are many actors, who are extremely renowned but aren't on social media.

These days, there's been a debate about casting directors casting an actors on the basis of their social media followers instead of their skills. What is your opinion about it?
Yes, I can understand but there are so many actors who have millions of fans on social media. There are so many social media influencers like Jannat Zubair, Faisu, who have a humongous fan following but are restricted to featuring in videos only. I haven't seen them do some great work. For example, Aamir Khan and a few more actors, who are not even on social media but are doing great work. If it would all be only about social media numbers, the casting directors would pick people from there only. Social media is important to stay updated and informed about news, music, fashion, and a lot many other things. I don't believe that social media is everything.

When did you realise that you want to become an actor and how did your family react to it?
I decided to get into showbiz when I was in 10th grade. In 2006, I'd chalked out my plan that I would go to Chandigarh, get into modelling, do fashion shows, and act in music videos. And, after attaining fame, I will go to Mumbai. But, I have struggled a lot in between. I went to Chandigarh, met a lot of people there, did fashion shows for Rs 1000-2000. I remember, I'd done a small cameo in a reality show, for which, I received Rs. 900. Next, I did a Punjabi music video and earned Rs. 1500. I also did a few fitness videos for Rs. 2 - 3k and purchased a hog cycle for myself with it to stay fit. I worked exactly as per my plan and achieved what I'd aimed for but not in an easy way.

You don't seem to have any Godfather in the entertainment industry, how was the entire struggle phase of yours here?
There were a lot of hurdles. Mainly, there was no connection and that was the biggest hindrance, and you are puzzled about how and where to start from. The issue with me was that whenever I went for auditions, people would say, 'shakal teri achhi hai par body bahut zyada hai' (Your face is nice but you've got a very bulky body) and I was always rejected. At times, everything would work in my favour and after 2-3 days, I would get a call saying, 'nahin sir, aapka nahin hua' (You haven't been selected). This was when I started living in Mumbai. Prior to that, I would keep travelling between Punjab and Mumbai just for auditions. In 2006, I came to Mumbai for the first time and stayed here for a month. Nothing was working and I came back in 2007, stayed for 2 months and again, I returned because nothing worked out. In 2008, again I came to Mumbai for six months and ran away after 6 months. In 2009, then I firmly decided to never return from Mumbai. I thought to myself, unless Mumbai calls me, I won't go. I would travel all the way from Chandigarh to Mumbai just for look tests and then return. I would leave around 2:30 am from Chandigarh, take a bus for Delhi, then a cab to the airport and take the 6:30 am flight and reach Mumbai by 9. I would be the first person to audition by 9:30 am - 10 am and again I would rush to the airport and back to Chandigarh by 2:30 pm.

Were your parents supportive during this phase of yours?
My parents were really angry and would question my career choice and call me mad. They would say, 'Are you crazy to keep travelling all the way from Chandigarh to Mumbai just for look tests?' They did not support me, I was all by myself and I was determined to achieve my goal. Chandigarh to Delhi became my daily route for auditions and because I worked as a gym trainer in Chandigarh for 7 years, I had to return and resume my job. My morning shifts were 6 to 10 am and evening shifts were from 4 pm to 9 pm. Mostly, I would miss the morning shift because of my audition but I would reach by afternoon and manage my gym work too. My struggle has been very tough.

It's all worth it, isn't it?
Of course. With my family and friends' blessings, I got Saathiya and all the love from fans. I did not get Saath Nibhaana Saathiya easily. I was selected and everything was discussed. But, the day I went to sign the contract papers, I was informed that somebody else had been signed and I had been replaced. I still remember, it was my last day on the sets of CID, I'd done a story, and on the third day I got a phone call from someone saying that they were calling from Rashami Sharma's production house, and they wanted to have a meeting with me and take another audition. I told them that someone else was taken. They informed me that everything was scrapped and now they are starting afresh. Then I understood that nothing happens before time. For me, my struggle has been a very joyous journey. I enjoyed it a lot.

Do you see a difference in the TV content these days?
I want the content to evolve more on TV. I personally want TV as a medium to flourish. We have so many channels, writers and it's being explored more now. Our TV industry has to be more real, expose more reality. I think the TV audience is mostly dominated by women. And, I often try to understand what message my show is imparting and think from the audience's perspective. The content should always have a positive impact on the audience. There should be more action-based shows and romantic shows and because of web series, the audience of TV has decreased.

Are you open to exploring the digital medium?
If I am offered a great web show, I will definitely do it and I am trying too for it. Right now, my show is my priority and I am giving maximum time to it. In the future, I would like to perform in an action show and romantic show. I am eager to explore that genre.

Does it curb an artist's calibre to reprise the same role repeatedly? Your view
Yes, it happens, no doubt about it. When I was offered Tera Mera Saath Rahe, I'd told my producers and directors that I don't want to become Ahem Modi, rather do something different. I want some newness to the character so that people understand there are new traits to the actor's personality. For instance, I have the same shirt in ten different colours but how do you want to style it, depends on you, just like your character.

Have you ever been approached for Bigg Boss and will fans ever get to see you on that show?
Ever since my show Saath Nibhaana Saathiya went off air, I have been approached twice for Bigg Boss, and every time, I have been working on some or the other project at that time. The first time when I received a call for Bigg Boss, I was doing a show under Salman Khan Productions. Its pilot was shot but the show never went on air. The second time, I was doing Saathiya 2, I had signed the contract, so I couldn't say yes to Bigg Boss. When I was doing Bahu Begum, I was again called to do Bigg Boss. I have been offered this show every year. I definitely want to do Bigg Boss but more than that I am driven to do Khatron Ke Khiladi. Action is my favourite genre and I am very much passionate about it. To satisfy that urge of mine, I think, Khatron Ke Khiladi is the best platform for me.

Your fans shower you with a lot of love. What do you have to say about them?
Thanks to each and every fan of mine and I love them a lot.