In a candid chat, actor Arslan Goni talks about his journey in entertainment industry

Tell us about your experience with your debut movie Jia Aur Jia.

I always wanted to be an actor. I am from Jammu and I went through several auditions, but things were not working out the way I wanted, so I shifted to the corporate sector and started working. One fine day I got a call from writer Mudassar Aziz for Jia Aur Jia. Kalki and Richa were very professional and didn’t make me feel like a newcomer.

After Jia Aur Jia, why was there a long break in your professional life?

The kind of offers which were coming, I was not satisfied. I realised I had a flair for writing and started writing scripts. One was a romantic comedy and another was a thriller. Both the stories are sold and I’m writing more scripts.

Why have you been keeping a low profile?

I’m a very private person. I mind my own business. I’m focused on my work. I’m a social person as anyone else, but I’m not a social media bug. Maybe that makes people think I’m keeping a low profile.

What kind of roles do you want to do?

I want to do any role which adds value to the script. I have no hang ups about doing only certain kinds of roles. As an actor, the role has to satisfy me as an actor.

OTT is a big platform now. Comment.

OTT’s existence cannot be denied and ignored. Post-pandemic it is more in the limelight. The quality of content is good and it offers variety.

How was your experience with Mai Hero Boll Raha Hu?

The experience was fantastic. Ekta had full faith in me and the character, and it really worked for me. I still get lots of compliments for the role of Lala.

What is your idea of happiness?

Live and let live, it is nice to be important but more important to be nice. Life is in the present neither in the past nor in the future. I need my space and I take it when I need it. Good food, good intelligent company, quality time with myself and acting are what make me happy.

What do you have to say about the television industry?

TV industry’s existence cannot be denied, it has its own audience. Reality show space is very different from daily soaps. I have no intention of doing TV as of now though I would be open to hosting a reality show or a chat show.