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Namish Taneja, who is currently seen in Alright TV’s Gangs Of Gorakhpur, says the series has allowed him to explore a completely different side of himself as an actor. Known for his chocolate-boy image on television, Namish took up the show to challenge himself and move away from the romantic roles audiences have usually seen him play.
Talking about how he landed the role, Namish shared that he auditioned for the character of Raghav Chaturvedi, a young man who dreams of becoming an IAS officer. The audition required him to speak in a desi tone, something he felt came naturally to him because he is from Delhi. His audition impressed the makers and eventually led to him being cast in the series.
For Namish, Gangs Of Gorakhpur has been one of his most memorable acting experiences. After spending years working in daily television, he wanted to be part of a project that gave him more freedom to experiment.
“I can say this has been one of the best experiences of my life as an actor. I have been doing daily shows all these years, and there were certain boundaries on television. There were many things we could not openly do on TV. I always wanted to do the kind of acting where you can express yourself openly according to the situation. This show gave me that opportunity,” he said.
The actor also feels that the series pushed him creatively. He deliberately placed himself in challenging situations while performing and says there were moments when even he was surprised by what he managed to create.
“I wanted to put myself in difficult situations this time. There were many places where I created something that even I did not know I could do. So, for me, it has been one of the best experiences as an actor,” Namish added.
One of the biggest attractions of the show was the opportunity to break away from his familiar image. Having played romantic and boy-next-door characters for several years, Namish wanted to test himself with a role that demanded something different.
“I have always been seen as the chocolate boy. For almost 10–12 years, people have seen me doing romance in different shows. With this show, I wanted to find out how capable I am as an actor. You should know how to do different things as an actor,” he said.
Namish also praised his co-star Shruti for her dedication to the show. He says her energy during every scene motivated him to perform better.
“She put her entire energy into every shot. She wanted every shot to be good. When you get a good actress as your co-star, you also get charged by watching her. I felt the same way. I thought, ‘Now I have to do even better,’” he shared.
The actor also credited his director Ajay sir for helping him understand the importance of remaining calm on the sets of Gangs Of Gorakhpur. While Namish would sometimes feel stressed when a setup was not ready, his director would remain composed and focus on completing the work.
“He would say, ‘Why should I get angry? I can simply tell them to get the setup ready.’ I really liked that attitude. I realised there is no point in getting unnecessarily stressed over things,” Namish said.
Shooting for Gangs Of Gorakhpur in Lucknow was another highlight for Namish. He enjoyed working with local actors and experiencing the city’s culture, food and warmth. The actor even admitted that he gained around five or six kilos after enjoying the local cuisine.
According to Namish, the biggest strength of Gangs Of Gorakhpur is its writing. He believes the show stands apart from the usual format of vertical stories because it has been developed as a proper series, with every character serving a purpose.
“Our show is not like the usual vertical shows where a poor guy turns out to be rich or someone gets insulted and later everyone discovers that he is actually the owner. It is a proper series. Every character has a purpose and every character has their own story,” he explained.
Namish also revealed that the story is inspired by a real person from the region, although he chose not to disclose the individual’s identity. He said that local people spoke to him about the person who inspired his character and even showed him photographs.
“They told me that they had met the person I am playing. They even showed me photographs and said that he looked like me. I won’t reveal his name because we would need the rights to talk about him,” he said.
For Namish, Gangs Of Gorakhpur has been an opportunity to grow as an actor, take creative risks and show audiences a side of him they have not seen before. Through his role as Raghav Chaturvedi, he hopes viewers will recognise his ability to move beyond the chocolate-boy image and take on more challenging characters.
