Adnan Khan returns with Katha Ankahee, reveals giving over 4-5 auditions each day

Adnan Khan of Ishq Subhan Allah fame is back with a new show, Katha Ankahee. It is the Hindi remake of the hit Turkish series 1001 Nights, better known as Arabian Nights. He will be seen in the lead role of Viaan and would star opposite Aditi Sharma, who is in the titular role of Katha. After being brought up in Dubai, Adnan has now made Mumbai his home. The actor, who shot to fame as the lead character Mawlawi Kabir Ali Ahmed in Ishq Subhan Allah, spoke to Hindustan Times about his struggle before making it big with the show and why his new project is special for him. Excerpts:

Is your role in Katha Ankahee different from what you have done before?

Definitely, it’s very different and that’s the reason I wanted to do the show. The story as well as the character is very different from my previous shows. Playing Viaan on the show is quite a challenge. Also read: Bigg Boss 16: Shekhar Suman calls all contestants ‘fake’ in his qawwali performance

Tell us more about the plot of the show.

It is the story of love blossoming from a situation that ideally you would never see love coming out from. It’s a situation that occurs between two people. Circumstances that lead to that situation would make two people hate each other but this situation makes them come closer, but at the same time, push them away. Its kind of a conundrum. That’s the story in short.

How did you land the project?

I got a call from the makers. I auditioned for it and also did a mock shoot. I liked the story. Later, I also found out the director to be an excellent human being who keeps an eye on every little detail. It will air on Sony December 5 onwards.

You were based in Dubai. Do you shuttle between Dubai and Mumbai now?

Now I am settled in Mumbai. I was Dubai-based and did my schooling etc from there. I was born in Mumbai but grew up in Dubai. I worked there for a couple of years as a restaurant manager. Since I have been in Mumbai, I haven’t gone back.

You bagged your first major role in Ishq Subhan Allah. Did you do 400 auditions before that?

Over the course of my nine-year-long journey, I must have done over 400-600 auditions. I used to give 4-5 auditions a day and had given around 100 auditions in few months. This was in the first year itself. Ishq Subhan Allah came five years later. By that time, I had done a few smaller shows. The coordinators knew by then and pushed me in the right direction.

Tell us something about your struggle in the industry.

I definitely faced some struggle in my initial years. Nothing was happening, nobody knew me. I had to circulate my name and my face by doing cold calls. Visiting the production houses, knocking on their doors and asking, ‘Sir, fit, not fit? Can I audition? Do you have something for me?’ This was in the first two years. In the third and fourth year, it was mostly me calling on phone and reminding them in case they had something for me. By then, I had done a little bit of work.