Danish Akhtar Saifi | The actor, who essays Nandi’s character in &TV’s Baal Shiv, reveals that The Great Khali' has trained him for wrestling. He has taken up various mythological roles in his acting career. Howbeit, his love for wrestling is unmatched. He speaks with SUPRIYA RAMESH about how he manages his acting, wrestling and more. Baal Shiv airs every Monday to Friday on &TV at 8:00 pm

What motivated you to be a wrestler?

I hail from Bihar, where kushti is enjoyed by many. And in a similar vein, I was fascinated by wrestling. I was young when I decided to be a wrestler and the first person I told this to was my father. He, too, was amazed by my decision and motivated me for it. He made me go through years of intense training and a strict regimen, which greatly helped me gain fitness and energy in my body. I admired WWE a lot and wanted to become an international wrestler. Since facilities were not available in my city to learn wrestling, I went to Jalandhar and started taking the training. Later, I also got an opportunity to be there, but destiny had other plans.

How did acting happen?

In 2010, I went to the National School of Bodybuilding, Jalandhar and took a six-month training, which helped me gain a wrestler's body and then moved to Delhi and initially started working as a gym trainer. While in Jalandhar, I connected with The Great Khali's brother. So, one day he called me and said selectors are coming from WWE, and I think you are a good fit for it. So, can you come back to Jalandhar for it? Obviously, I decided to go back in no time. Khali sir had personally trained me for six months before the selection in his academy CWE (Continental Wrestling Entertainment). I remember around four to five thousand people had come for the selection, out of which only five or six were shortlisted, and I was one of them. But due to some paperwork, I could not fly to America then. After that, I came to Mumbai, and my acting career began.

How did you get your first break as an actor?

For a mythological show, auditions were happening; the makers were looking for someone tall, extremely strong, and muscular, with a clean image. A casting friend of mine suggested I go for the audition, and in the very first audition, I got selected for Hanuman’s role. I never thought that I would end up in this field. It was director Nikhil Sinha's vision that convinced me to try out for this role. I had to work a lot on my acting skills, and for almost three months, I studied the character to portray it in the desired way.

How has your experience with Baal Shiv been?

I am playing Nandi in the show, who is the guardian deity of Kailash, the abode of Shiva. This character is appreciated, and many people from the industry have also complimented me on how I portray it. The character has helped me get closer to the viewers as many Shiv ji’s bhakts follow the show very ardently, and this is one show which every age group enjoys. My journey has been great with all my co-stars. Everybody shares a very great unbreakable bond. Whenever I am on the set, Aan (Baal Shiv) keeps playing with my biceps and tells me that he wants a body like mine.

Although your acting career happened by chance, do you feel it happened for good?

Absolutely, yes. The audience enjoys watching me on screen, and over the years, I have learned a lot from my directors and co-stars about how to portray myself and be a good actor. And I frequently mention to people that my first love is wrestling and my last is acting. I feel immense pleasure and satisfaction in performing as an actor and competing in the wrestling ring simultaneously.

You have always played mythological roles on the screen. Why?

I have portrayed Hanuman on two occasions, Bheem in a Kannada movie and now Nandi in &TV's Baal Shiv. I am incredibly grateful for it. I have received accolades from the audience for every mythological role I have ever played. And I believe their support and acceptance persuades the makers to choose me for such characters, and they continue to offer me similar roles. However, I would also like to give some credit to my physical appearance, which probably makes them think of me for such devotional characteristics. And to be honest, I will do any mythological show that comes my way.