Yeh Jaadu Hai Jinn Ka actor Shehzada Dhami says he wants to play the lead now, even if it’s a negative one

Your name is quite unique. What’s the story behind it?

My best friend in college was called Ali. I used to tease him by calling him Anarkali and he used to call me Shehzada. That’s how everyone started calling me Shehzada, it became popular, so I thought let’s continue with it.

What was your first work in front of the camera?

My first work in front of the camera was a music video, but that did not release. And after that, I worked in Yeh Jaadu Hai Jinn Ka.

You were famous as a TikTok star. How did your career suffer after the ban?

A lot of people call me a TikToker or a TikTok star, I am not a TikToker, but I thank the application for the fame I got. It just started as a time pass for me when a friend suggested that I should post a video on it. My first video was appreciated, and I did a few more after that. But it was never like a professional thing for me. I was doing it for fun, but having said that I must say that whatever fame I got was because of the application.

How will you sum up your experience working in Yeh Jaadu Hai Jinn Ka?

It was a lovely experience. It gave me a lot of recognition, and all the things that I learnt here, I will be able to apply them in my future projects.

The show is going off air. What is your focus now as an actor?

My focus now, as an actor, is to do more good work. I want to play the lead. Even a negative lead will do, but not a parallel lead.

Your hairstyle and moustache add to your personality. What do you have to say about that?

I am often told that it suits my personality and my name. And it also went with my character in the show, but I am open to experimenting with my looks. If a role demands, I will go clean-shaven and will cut my hair too.

How comfortable are you working in this new normalcy?

Honestly, initially I was a little apprehensive. And when the shootings resumed I was in Punjab, my production house assured me that they would take care of everything, would follow all precautionary measures, and they did. So I am all ok now. I have adjusted well to this new normal.