‘Yeh Rishta’ Actor Ayush Viz On His Lasting Bonds With Co-Stars
MUMBAI-Actor Ayush Viz, who gained recognition for playing Mohit in the popular television show ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai’, has talked about his enduring bond with former co-stars Karan Mehra and Hina Khan, saying the show gave them “friends for life, not just co-stars.”
Ayush said his friendships with Mehra, Khan and other former cast members have continued years after their season of the show ended.
“Karan and I are very close; we share a very special bond even after all these years. In fact, we met for dinner last week and it was just like old times, we picked up exactly where we left off,” he said.
He added, “Apart from him, Hina, Neha (Saroopa), Nidhi (Uttam) – I am in touch with all of them, we have a little group and we keep checking on each other. Yeh Rishta gave us friends for life, not just co-stars. It’s really unfortunate what happened with Hina’s health, it had shaken all of us. She is such a strong and positive person, one of the strongest I know. We all pray and wish for her recovery. Seeing her fight this battle with so much grace and courage is truly inspiring for all of us.”
Asked whether he would ever take part in a controversial reality show such as ‘Bigg Boss’, as Hina Khan and Karan Mehra have done, Ayush said the format scares him.
“Bigg Boss is scary for me, to be honest.”
The actor said the “format is so intense” because “you are cut off from the world, that scares me”.
Ayush said he would instead be more interested in a reality show built around strategy and mystery.
“I would be more keen for something like ‘The Traitors’ maybe, that has more strategy and mystery to it. But yes, I have worked with Salman Sir on ‘Race 3’ and he is amazing. I think he will be the only reason I would ever even consider doing Bigg Boss.”
“Just to be in a show hosted by him again would be special. Otherwise, Bigg Boss is too daunting for someone like me,” he concluded.
Apart from acting, Ayush, who has worked in shows such as ‘Tera Kya Hoga Alia’ and ‘Janani’, has also worked as an assistant and second-unit director with choreographer-director Remo D’Souza on Bollywood films including ‘Race 3’ and ‘Street Dancer 3D’.
Reflecting on how the entertainment industry has changed, Ayush said actors of his generation missed out on the social media boom.
“The unscripted shows have really taken off now, and it’s amazing to see. During our season of ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai’, social media and these digital platforms were almost non-existent. We didn’t have Instagram, reels, or all these opportunities to connect with fans directly. I feel we have definitely missed out on a goldmine of opportunity.”
He added, “Today actors can build so much through social media, brand collaborations and unscripted content. We were purely dependent on the show’s TRP. If we had these platforms back then, our reach and growth would have been completely different,” he noted. (IANS)
