Sonali Bendre is childlike, says TV actor Apurva Agnihotri

Actor Apurva Agnihotri says his new show Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Ye co-star and Bollywood actress Sonali Bendre, who is making her debut in fiction, is a wonderful actress and very childlike.

After bidding adieu to films, Sonali is frequently seen on TV as a judge on reality shows but with the Ekta Kapoor's new show she has jumped onto the daily soap bandwagon.

"I am lucky that Sonali is making her fiction debut opposite me. I am a fan. She is a wonderful actress. She has so much of experience behind her but on the sets she is very childlike," Apurva told PTI.

The Life Ok! show, 'Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Ye', is an unusual, heart-warming story of two strangers- Shobha (Sonali) and Vikram (Apurva) who meet each other by luck and bond. It will go on air from early next month.

The 41-year-old 'Jassi Jaissi Koi Nhi' actor says his character is one of the most challenging roles of his career because it has got many layers.

"My character of Vikram is very different from the roles I did in the past. It has got multiple layers into it. I just pray that I live up to Ekta's expectations. The character has got OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), he is very mean towards people and also animated at times. The journey of the role is tough," he said.

This is the first time that Apurva is teaming up with Ekta, who has helped in a big way to shape his wife Shilpa Sakhlani's career.

"This is my debut with Balaji and I am quite apprehensive about it. I got a call from Balaji office one day for this show and I said yes to them," said Apurva, who played a negative character in his last outing 'Pyaar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyaara Pyaara'. 

Apurva started his career with films but he could not make a mark there and later shifted to TV. His small screen debut as a boss in Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahi was appreciated by the audience.

Asked if he would like to return to film, Apurva said. "As an actor no but as a director yes. I want to direct a film and I feel that my true calling is direction. I bought a DSLR camera to shoot documentaries."

Apurva got a new lease of life after his stint on the celebrity reality show Bigg Boss. He participated on the show with his wife and says this time he won't be able to watch it as he is busy with his own daily soap.

"The show is once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It can break your image in just 90 days which you have built in nine years. I am lucky that I and my wife came out with a good image. I enjoyed my stint thoroughly," he said.