He has no qualms accepting that he is a “sucker for romance” and believes that when the time is right, his mother will pick the right partner for him. Meanwhile, Adnan Khan is busy romancing on screen in shows, including Love By Chance, Twist Wala Love, Ishq Subhan Allah and the latest being Katha Ankahee — the Indian adaptation of the Turkish show, Binbir Gece (1,001 Nights). In conversation with mid-day, the actor talks about what drew him to the show, the trend of remakes and his personal love story.
Edited excerpts from the interview.
What was the brief given to you?
I was told that it is a beautiful love story that starts from a slightly darker scene. An incident takes place between two people who already know each other, but instead of keeping them afar, it brings them closer together. It is a remake of 1,001 Turkish Nights. What I liked in the script was my character Viaan and why he is the way he is. He comes with so many layers and emotional scars since childhood, which [has shaped] his strong opinions — that are not in line with society’s norms — about people and life in general. That is why he has few friends and his social circle is small. I relate to the character because my personal views are not coherent with what is happening today. I am slightly more traditional.
Aditi Sharma and Adnan Khan in Katha Ankahee
Have you seen the Turkish show?
No, I have not. It was a personal choice I made. As an actor when you are told there is a beautiful show and I had to play this role, I didn’t want to subconsciously manipulate myself [into aping the actor]. I could inadvertently end up mimicking him, and I didn’t wish to do that.
The Indian version of Binbir Gece seems like something one would come across in a romance book. Aren’t similar concepts often explored on television?
Actually, these concepts work well. I won’t deny that there is a trend that the audience accepts these kinds of love stories a little more despite there being a plethora of other options. I am sure other things are also being explored, but this caters to
the market.
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Is there a dearth of new stories that writers now have to resort to making remakes?
I don’t agree with that. There is no dearth of stories. The last couple of shows I have done — [Love By Chance, Twist Wala Love, Ishq Subhan Allah among others] — were original stories. I don’t know why we are making remakes, but I guess it is because the stories work so well and our audience loves love stories. We make so many of them in a year. I am a diehard fan of love stories. In fact, Shah Rukh Khan is my idol and I still believe in real life versions of SRK’s love stories. We are not afraid to explore ideas that don’t come from India itself. We also love the underdog, who comes from nothing and makes it all the way to the top. Maybe, that is why the female lead always comes from a mediocre background, and a story is narrated from herperspective.
Who do you think is responsible for changing trends on television — the makers or audience?
I genuinely believe that it is the audience who can make or break a trend. Over the years, several production houses have tried to explore new stories and ideas,
but those shows never really worked. Our audience likes to be taken away from their [monotonous] lives. The moment the audience demands for something else, makers will respond immediately. We have the talent, money, and the creatives to make it happen.
What is your plan for your own love story?
I believe in old-school romance. My mother will pick a girl for me. If I do fall in love with someone before that, then I will gladly introduce her to my mom. I think my mother is a good human being, a pure soul, and has a good eye.
