In conversation with Faisal 'Maharana Pratap' Khan

Amidst the arid, deserted and barren warfield, he is mounted on Chaitak, his shahi horse and his face glows with unbridled strength as he performs stunts like a perfectionist. Yes, we are talking about the extremely talented and down to earth young child prodigy Faisal Khan, who portrays the character of Maharana Pratap on Sony Entertainment Television’s popular historical saga Bharat Ka Veer Putra…Maharana Pratap (Contiloe). In a free-wheeling chat with Tellychakkar.com, he sheds light on the upcoming track of the show, his journey into acting space and a lot more. Rising to fame at a tender age is indeed commendable and at the same time a huge responsibility too. Whom does he attribute his success to? “My parents, teachers, friends and relatives have always supported me in all my endeavors. I am lucky to have a support system like them. And till date when they see me on TV, they always compliment and appreciate me for my work. It feels great and wonderful”, says the charming Faisal. History is not every child’s cup of tea and for quite a few it is nothing less than a nightmare! We wonder if the ace dance performer turned actor showcases interest in the subject. “I was never inclined to history as a subject in school but after I started working for Maharana Pratap, I started to develop a liking towards it. I take pride in the prestigious history of our nation. Maharana Pratap was indeed a brave, firm and strong-willed ruler and whenever I skim through the pages of the script or memorize the dialogues, I literally get goose bumps. It is indeed an honour and a huge responsibility to portray the role of the benevolent Rajput ruler on national television. And I hope I am doing justice to it.” Is dancing on the back burner since acting has taken over? Well here is what the good looking prince has to say. “Dance courses through my veins and it will never take a backseat in my life. It is and will always be my first passion and love. I accept that I am not able to give it more time due to the hectic shooting schedule. But I practice dance routines during the breaks. Dance has made me what I am today and it will never lose its priority in my life.” Well, said Faisal! We hope unlike many other child artistes in television who drop out of school to make a name in the glamour industry, Faisal isn’t treading on the same path. The skilled actor excerpts, “I truly believe that studying and performing well in academics is as important as my work. And I will not let my performance in academics go down the drain. We shoot the entire day, but we do have many breaks in between. I make sure I study in the breaks and complete my homework on time. I will not let my academics suffer due to my work.” Fighting the scorching heat and working for hours together is not a cake-walk. “We are all trying to beat the heat. But we cannot really help it. It is difficult shooting with these heavy costumes and accessories but our crew makes sure we are hydrated enough and don’t overwork. It was difficult initially, but now our bodies have become accustomed to it. I am being trained in various performing arts like sword fighting, Kalahari stunts and horse riding. And it is indeed a thrilling experience.” Well, there is no gain without pain. Commenting on his rapport with his co-stars on the sets he says, “It is great. We have a lot of fun on the sets. We irritate everybody and play a lot of pranks. Vishal is a very good friend and so are Jannat and Roshni. We play hide and seek very often on the sets and play video games and sleep off in each other’s vanities. But I do miss all my old friends and whenever I meet them, we have a ball together.” What next? Will it be a career in acting or dancing? He laughs saying, “I don’t really know what lies ahead. But I want to take everything as it comes to me. I don’t really have high expectations. I think things will fall into place and it is too early to decide a career for myself. I want to give my best to whatever I work on and excel in it.” There have been speculations about a leap in the popular show. So time to say goodbye? “See, the leap has to happen at one point in time for the plot to move further. So I am going to give my best and make sure I do justice to the role as far as I am a part of the show. I believe in looking at things in a positive light and I hope things work out.” We wish you all the very best! Well, the extremely popular historical saga is now gearing up for an action packed war sequence in the coming episodes. On the regal and picturesque sets of Maharana Pratap on the outskirts of Mumbai in Talasari, more than 300 artists have been roped in to air the epic war sequence between the brave Rajput warriors and the royal Mughal kingdom under young Emperor Akbar (played by Vishal Jethwa). So tune in to Bharat Ka Veer Putra…Maharana Pratap on Sony to experience the grandeur and edge of the seat war sequence.