"I have been unlucky in love"

"I am smiling again. The last few days have put me in an optimistic frame of mind. Happy days are here again," says the recalled Purab of Sony's Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin.Sameer Soni, better known as the guy who stole the thunder from under Armaan's nose in 'Jassi...' is also doing Star One's Dil Kya Chahta Hai and a play Anything But Love with Mandira Bedi. Sameer Soni spoke to Vickey Lalwani on life and love. Last March, Sameer entered the show as the new man in Jassi’s life. Purab’s exit after a few months, left many baffled as a poll conducted by the channel indicated his increasing popularity with the viewers. We hear he was ousted because he was getting more popular than the protagonist Armaan (Apoorva Agnihotri)! Is it true? "I was taken as a guest character for five episodes. But after that, I was retained in the show. My character worked very quickly and there was positive feedback from all quarters." "I don't think my popularity went against me. If I had become popular, it was good for the show. It's just that I was never a part of the original Betty La Fea. When I entered, the script had deviated from the original. The channel decided after a while, that they wanted to go back to the original story. So I was out. As simple as that," he explains. Should we buy that? Rewind. Wall Street’s loss was Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin gain. The guy started off as a financial whiz on Wall Street but allowed his passion for acting to take over. This is how it happened. Graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles, Sameer was bang in the middle of the world’s financial centre, with the Wall Street Journal. He had it all— a fat wallet and a plush apartment facing the Statue of Liberty, yet all the while the actor in him was struggling to find expression. "I was miserable. I wrote my dad a letter saying I didn’t want to be 40 years old and telling my kids that had I the guts to become an actor, I would have made it big," he reminisces.So, he took his courage into his hands and moved to Mumbai and started off as a paying guest. Back to the present. "There are times when things happen and I am stranded. Life has never been easy for me. But God has never let me give up and I never quit," he clenches his fist. Life has indeed never been easy for Sameer who started off with a forgettable debut in China Gate where his role got cruelly slashed at the editing table. Anyway, rewind again. Soni had his share of emotional turmoil with the passing away of ex-girlfriend model Nafisa Joseph. Nor could he sustain his marital relationship with Rajlaxmi Roy. "Rajlaxmi and I did a TV commercial together and got attracted. We were together for nearly a year. Things didn't work out. It's seven years now. Today, she is happily married (to Rahul Roy). I wish her the very best. We bump into each other at parties and events. We are courteous towards one another, but of course, it's not easy; there is a bit of discomfort." "As for Nafisa, when I am sitting alone, flashes of her keep coming back. I cannot comprehend that she’s not there," mulls Samir as he adds that the most tumultuous part of their relationship was when the two had broken up one-and-a-half years ago. "Nafisa and I were together for three years. Unfortunately, we parted ways. Relationships are fragile, I guess." On second thoughts, he adds, "I think I have been unlucky in love. Or let me put it this way, I have failed as a lover. Cut to 'Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin'. Wasn't there some love happening on the serial too? With Mona Singh aka Jassi? Not so long ago, there were faint rumblings that Sameer and Mona were getting romantically inclined towards each other. But Sameer denies. "Please! These are baseless rumours. Mona and I meet on the sets only. Mona has never been a part of my personal life." "I am not into any relationship at the moment. I guess I am destined to remain single," he adds. Heaving a long sigh, Sameer says that he cannot comment on the exact reason why the channel has recalled him. "You would have to ask them. But I guess it’s because of the love people have showered upon me," he says matter-of-factly. A shot at the future? Sameer will remain an integral part of 'Jassi...' till the end, won't he? But he is again modest, err, guarded. "I cannot say much because I don’t know which direction the track is going to take. I can only confirm that I will be a part of the show for quite some time now. 'Aage bhagwan ki marzi'," he signs off. Sameer, we know how it is. Unpredictable, thy other name is Indian television! Or is that attributed to life in general? Up one moment, down the next.