Be present, be perceptive

Jaideep Ahlawat

When performing scenes with Jaideep Ahlawat, an actor could well be in a dilemma. Should he try to be on a par with him, or simply make notes watching him weave his magic? Taaruk Raina, who has shared screen space with the actor over two seasons of The Broken News, says he has learnt valuable acting lessons from him. "Our relationship is such that we're always having fun, sometimes more than required. He is an easy person to work with. I have learnt plenty from him," he says.

The actor plays an aggressive primetime news anchor

His biggest takeaway from Ahlawat's process is to be true to the moment. "The biggest lesson is that he doesn't overthink. He is relaxed when he is performing. When he is in front of me, he is also helping me perform better. It's great to have an actor of that calibre because he rules out the possibility of anything going wrong as he is there with you," he shares, adding that he hopes to be equally giving to his co-stars.

From the Zee5 newsroom drama, the actor has moved on to the YA world of Mismatched. To him, the Netflix series, also starring Rohit Saraf and Prajakta Koli, feels more like home and less like work. Akarsh Khurana's show is loved for the camaraderie between the primary actors. Is it difficult to not feel competitive with your co-star? Absolutely not, says Raina. "Mismatched has worked because of its camaraderie. If there was competition between us, we couldn't have made the show the way it is. We learnt that if we elevate each other, it rewards all of us. So, why not have the glory together than not have it at all?"