'LSD' actor turns into small screen Robin Hood

After Salman Khan's Robin Hood-inspired turn in his latest hit Dabangg, Ashish Sharma, who made his acting debut with Love Sex Aur Dhokha, is all set to play a similar role on the small screen.

The 26-year-old actor's lead role of Avdesh Singh Thakur in Imagine's new show Gunahon Ka Devta draws heavily from the heroic outlaw of English folklore.

"The character of Avdesh is similar to that of Robin Hood. He is forced by circumstances to enter into crime at a very young age. Even though he is a bad guy, he has a heart of gold," Ashish said.

Set in a crime infested town in eastern UP, the show portrays Avdesh as the leader of a dreaded gang of criminals. But he is also revered for his intrinsic goodness, his sense of honour and humanity. He extorts money from the rich, only to help those in need.

Ashish says his character is loosely based on Sri Prakash Shukla, a young mafia don from UP who was killed in an encounter last year.

"The background of my character is the same as that of Shukla," said Ashish, who got rid of his chiselled gym-physique in order to look like a goon from the heartland.

"I had to get rid of my six packs and get into the 'akhada' look and shift from diet food to doodh malai," he added.

This is his first television show and the Jaipur-based actor was initially apprehensive about taking it up as he doesn't approve of the process behind making soaps and serials.

"I took up this show only because the process of making it was not like the usual soaps. We had a month-long workshop before shooting to get my dialect right and get into the feel of the character. The preparations were just like making a film," said Ashish.

The actor has two films in the pipeline, which will go on floors shortly. The first, Dillogical, is about the growing tendency among youngsters to commit suicide under pressures in life. The other one is named Youthopia and is the story of four kids and a cartoonist.