After more than a decade away from television, Arjun Punj is making a striking comeback with Yaadein. In an exclusive chat with Midday, the actor opened up about returning to the small screen, his new character, and the nostalgia of stepping onto a set reminiscent of Sanjivani.
Expressing his excitement, Arjun shared, “I’m really excited, honestly, to have a show like this and to see myself on screen on a show like this. I have been getting a few options lately, but they are the typical ones. But this show is really, you know, I think it’s going to be a new beginning of a lot of things. I’m very happy and lucky to, I think, be a part of this show.”
Arjun talks about his character
Talking about his role, the actor revealed that what drew him in was the refreshing nature of his character. “What I liked about my character is that he’s a very chill guy. Though he’s with Shrishti and their daughter is being taken care of by them and is in love with Shrishti, he’s naturally very soft, kind-hearted, breezy kind of a guy. Zyada tension nahi hai usko (He doesn`t have much tension). And I think a problem solver, log tension lete hain (people take tension), and he just helps everyone out. So it`s a very nice, breezy, chilled-out character, which I’m very happy to be a part of.”
On the nostalgia of Sanjivani with Yaadein
The experience of returning to a familiar kind of set added another layer of emotion for Arjun, especially given his association with Sanjivani, the show that made him a household name. “100 percent! So my first look test and everything was on the set, and the moment I entered, it was so nostalgic because, you know, the Sanjivani set was very similar to this set. I’m like, ‘Oh my god, what is this happening?’ And as you just said, a ‘comeback,’ and that was a show which made my character really popular. And now this show with a similar setup, what better, I could have asked for?”
He also recalled how he and wife Gurdeep Punj kept their reunion under wraps until the official announcement. “Gurdeep’s reaction was ‘Chup raho, chup raho, kisi ko batana nahi, aane do phir batayenge’ (Keep quiet, keep quiet, don`t tell anyone, let it come out first then we`ll tell). Because there were a lot of hits and misses during the vibe. So we were like, just keep it to yourself, I`m also not going to tell anyone, you also don`t tell, just let people see on screen now.”
With a nostalgic backdrop, a fresh storyline, and a character that marks a new phase in his career, Arjun Punj’s return with Yaadein is already shaping up to be one to watch.
