Actor Arish Bhiwandiwala, currently seen as young Akbar in historical TV show "Bharat Ka Veer Putra - Maharana Pratap", says watching "Jodhaa Akbar" and "Mughal-e-Azam" helped him get under the skin of the character.
The 16-year-old rose to fame after playing young Hrithik Roshan in the 2012 box office hit "Agneepath".
"Once I was selected, I watched movies like 'Jodhaa Akbar' and 'Mughal-e-Azam'. I wanted to see how Hrithik Roshan and Prithviraj Kapoor delivered their dialogues. And it made it easier for me to play the Akbar in the show," Arish, who is from Mumbai, told IANS.
"I wanted to learn the way they talked and walked," he added.
Arish has replaced Sahil Deshmukh in the show. Sahil had to quit midway after he was diagnosed with lymphoid leukemia.
"I felt bad after I learned about Sahil's health," he said.
When asked if it was difficult for him to get into Sahil's shoes, he said, "No."
"Yes, the audience has liked Sahil's performance but I will try the best from my side. People have seen me in 'Agneepath' and that's an advantage for me. I have already started shooting for it and so far the experience has been great."
A first year junior college student at the H.R. College of Commerce and Economics, Arish says his favourite subject is history.
His father, Noshir Bhiwandiwala and mother, Nilufer, both work in a bank. His elder brother Shahzad Bhiwandiwala is planning to pursue a course in Master of Business Administration.
He is the only one into acting, but Arish gets support from his family.
"My family has always been supportive and they have told me that they will always be there whenever I need their support. They just want me to be happy and they know acting makes me happy," he said.
When asked about his friends reaction when they first saw him on the silver screen, he said: "I never told anyone that I was working in 'Agneepath', it was only a week before the release that I told them about it. First of all, they were all shocked and they bashed me."
"When we went to watch the movie, they were shouting and hooting. Everyone in the theatre came to know that I am the one who played the character of young Hrithik Roshan," he added.
After finishing his studies, he wants to pursue acting as a full time career.
"I just believe in one thing, where there is a will there is a way. My exams are going on but still I am giving my 100 percent to the shoot. I study during breaks and trust me, it's not difficult. One just needs to have a will to do things," he said.
