TRP puts unnecessary pressure, says Sehban Azim

How has been the feedback on Tujhse Hai Raabta?

Love is one emotion that connects us all but how we get to feel it is different. Love is a gift from God to us. It’s just that we all receive our gifts in different times of our lives. That’s what our show is about and I am happy that the response has been great. The feedback is quite impressive.

What is the best compliment you’ve got for your role?

I have a list of them coming from different people. But the one that stands out and made me emotional is when someone said that ‘nobody looks better than me wearing the uniform’.

How much do you relate to your character?

I don’t know how to answer this now. But yes, I’m happy living the life of Malhar Rane on screen. I relate to everything that he is.

How is it working with Sonali and Amir Jaffar?

It has been a wonderful journey; cakewalk is the term that’s actually appropriate. Both Sonali ma’am and Amir sir are more than awesome, coolest and the most sorted ones. I connected with Sonali ma’am when the show started and it took me time to understand Amir sir as we didn’t have much interaction in the beginning. But now I would say, together they are a perfect team.

Share that one thing that you would like to change in the industry?

The only thing I would like to change is the TRP scenario. Even though my show has garnered good TRPs still I feel it should be removed completely as it puts unnecessary pressure on everyone. The channel, producers, writers, actors and even the essence of the story gets compromised at times just to win the TRP game.

What do you think of the shows being made these days?

The industry has been evolving in terms of approaching the right kind of content, which is getting more real and relatable now than it was a few years back. But the change is happening slowly. Also, I believe TV directly represents society and vice versa.

What are the trends you’ve noticed in the television industry recently?

I’ve seen a lot of non-fiction shows recently that look like fiction but they claim to be non-fiction or reality. They add drama to a reality show to gain TRPs. I’ve seen a lot of new shows with potential getting axed just because they couldn’t get good TRP.

Do you think OTT has affected TV viewing?

Nope. I don’t see it that way. Television is way too strong.

If not an actor what would you have been?

Don’t know. Probably I would have been a photographer.