I am not quitting Chandragupta Maurya : Ashish Sharma

Recent reports indicate that Ashish Sharma who is playing the lead in Chandragupta Maurya may quit the show over alleged differences with the production house. But Ashish who is known for his role in the show Gunahon Ka Devta rubbishes all rumours and says that he can never quit an important show like Chandragupta Maurya. In an exclusive t?te-?-t?te with TellyChakkar, Ashish not only clears the air but also talks about his camaraderie with his co-star Yashashree and more. Excerpts from the interview. How has the professional journey been till date? I hail from the city of Jaipur. During my college days I was involved in theatre and street plays. Then I shifted to Mumbai to become an actor and in the process joined Anupam Kher’s acting school and participated in lot of theatre shows for almost four and a half years. Anupam Kher later recommended me for Dibakar Banerjee’s movie Love Sex Aur Dhokha. After the movie I bagged a role in Gunahon Ka Devta and now I am doing Chandragupta Maurya. So the journey has been quite good and enriching till date. Rumours are making the rounds that you are quitting Chandragupta Maurya. Are you? I don’t know who is spreading such rumours. I am definitely not quitting the show. In fact currently I am shooting an action sequence with Yashashree who plays Mrignayani in the show. Are you having some issues with the production house? My rapport with the production house is perfect. The show is doing well and my character is an important one. So I can’t even think of quitting such a good show. But you weren’t shooting of late. Is it malaria as heard about or something else? No, I am fine and not suffering from malaria. I am just a bit tired due to my hectic schedule. How important is Chandragupta Maurya for your career? The show is very important for me. I am pretty familiar with everyone on the sets as I have already worked with them in Gunahon Ka Devta. The makers have shown a lot of faith in me by giving me such an important character in Chandragupta Maurya. So there’s lot of hope and responsibility. How did you prepare for this role? I read a lot about Chandragupta Maurya. People usually know him as a tough and legendary king but we are also trying to portray his emotional and human side. I work hard and try my level best to do justice to the character. Are you an adventurous kind of person? Oh yes. I am quite adventurous and you will always find me going for hiking and trekking. I learned how to ride a horse pretty early in life. Furthermore, I also like parasailing and water sports. Give us one interesting incident from the sets of Chandragupta Maurya. Once there was a scene wherein I had to jump from a tree. I was perched on the tree and waiting for the scene to start. And then I saw a snake on one of the branches. I was scared. But I managed to complete the shoot with the help of my crew members. This is one incident that I will never forget in life. Working in the TV industry is tough and strenuous. How do you take time out for personal life? I don’t have a personal life. I work round the clock and hardly go home. I am still learning how to balance my personal and professional life. How’s your equation with Yashashree? Yashashree is a sweet girl and very nice to work with. We have lots of fun on the sets. It’s a blast working with her. Any dream role you want to portray? I usually enjoy doing action sequences so I would like to play James Bond some day! (Laughs) Any message for your fans? I want to tell all my fans that I am not quitting Chandragupta Maurya. I will continue to entertain them for a long time in the future. Please keep loving and appreciating my work.