'Aashram made me household name,' says Chandan Roy Sanyal

Chandan Roy Sanyal, who recently announced his maiden production under his banner, is on cloud nine as the third season of his much-talked series Aashram is slated to release on June 3 on an OTT platform. The Free Press Journal catches up with the actor for a candid chat, where he speaks about his role, camaraderie with Bobby Deol, and more.

When asked if the third season of Aashram makes him feel more responsible, he shares, “For a show like Aashram to run this long, it needs top-notch writing and the team has taken care of it. Unlike theatre, people can easily change the show or a platform if they find content boring. It is rare for any show on an Indian OTT to have a show with its third season. It feels like an achievement.”

Aashram is about a godman, who does evil things under the name of preaching spirituality. When asked whether he believes in godman, Chandan reveals, “No, never. I have always been away from superstition and fake babas or gurus. A lot of my fans, who have watched the show, ask the same question through DMs.”

Bobby Deol, who is headlining the series, plays the role of Baba Nirala, and Chandan, aka Bhopa, is his right-hand man. Their camaraderie in the series has been much talked about. “When I read the script, I felt my scenes with Bobby were so cool. He is like my elder brother. We developed a bond that if his scenes aren’t there and I am giving my shots, he hangs out on the sets to see my performance or advise me. I never felt we were competing with each other. He is a giving actor and broke all the stereotypes of a villain,” he adds.

The character of Bhopa has been instrumental in Chandan’s career. On this, he gushes, “Definitely, Bhopa and the series has given me a strong push as an actor. I have been termed as a good actor but the masses didn’t know me until Aashram. It surely made me a household name.”

Chandan, who announced his production house and his maiden venture, wants to back sensible cinema. “I have been writing stories for a while now and thought this is the right time to tell them. Under my production house, I want to tell my stories that I believe in,” he concludes.