Karan Singh Grover aka ‘Mr super cool’ (courtesy Shweta Gulati) is a chilled out and easy going person. The hot and handsome Karan has girls swooning over his looks and his tattoos.

A Hotel Management graduate Karan was working at the Sheraton in Muscat when he suddenly thought of participating in the Gladrags Man hunt contest. From thereon, he started a career in modelling and today he is the heartthrob of television. The actor cum host doesn’t believe in planning and prefers to live in the moment.

Karan has been seen acting in shows like Kasauti…, Dill Mill Gayee and now as a host on Zara Nachke Dikha. Over the years Karan has gathered a strong female fan base and is now riding high on the wave of popularity.

Tellychakkar met up with Karan to get an insight into his life.

You have mentioned that you are not really comfortable hosting Zara… and you are not used to a teleprompter. Do you find the job of hosting difficult?

I wasn’t comfortable initially but now I am comfortable. It is a part of the game.
It is a lot of fun. It is like a vacation though it gets tiring at times. If I am happy doing something, I keep doing it no matter how tedious it gets.

How is Shweta Gulati as a co-host?

She is an awesome co-host and an awesome friend. She is a lot of fun. She is always supportive and helpful. We get along really well. I feel like I am paired up with a friend. It is really nice.

Many contestants from the boy’s team in Zara… have repeatedly felt that the judges Malaika and Chunky give wrong judgments?

I don’t think the judges are biased but the judge’s job is a bit difficult. Whatever they feel, they mark accordingly. We have to stay calm, value and honour the judge’s decision.

If one participant gets lesser marks than the other, the former tends to react in a negative way. If I was in their situation, I would have probably reacted in the same way. Logic doesn’t really strike at that point of time. So I would say that the boys reacted like any other contestant would.

Would you ever participate in a reality show?

I am open to whatever comes along and when I feel like taking up something from the core of my heart, I take it up. I love dancing though. I am bad at following dancing instructions but when the dance is left on me entirely, I can dance really well.

How is it being brought up in Saudi Arabia and now living in Mumbai?

Living in Mumbai is a lot of fun. Saudi Arabia is a place where you should go only when you retire. Mumbai is completely different from the rest of the world. I am glad that I don’t have to go there again.

Do you take advice from girlfriend Shradha Nigam who has been around in the industry for a longer time?

I do not take any decision before consulting Shradha and it is the same with her. After returning from every meeting, I have a chat with her. Whether it is a professional or a personal decision, we always consult each other.

Having a degree in catering, do you cook for her?

No, that is one of her biggest complaints. I don’t get time to cook but I have promised her that I will soon cook for her. On the contrary, she has cooked for me a couple of times.

What are the qualities that your ideal wife should have?

She should be supportive and understanding. I am someone who needs constant support. She should also be a happy, easy going person. Basically, every quality of Shraddha is the quality that I look for, in my ideal wife.

Do you guys talk marriage?

Yes, we do but we don’t have any such plans as of now. When we do, you will come to know.

Staying away from home do you miss your family?

Currently, my parents are living in Delhi. I speak to them on and off but I don’t get to meet them very often. I just meet them once in a couple of months.

What do they feel about their actor son?

They feel very proud. My father is very excited about me. He surfs the net and most of the times, it is he who answers my fan mails. He tells me what girls are saying to me in the mail and when they don’t like a particular shirt that I wore. More than me, he is excited about my profession.

Where do you want to head from here?

I want to do films. There are a few things in the pipeline which I can’t talk about.

It is said that over- exposed television actors find it difficult to get a break in films.

That is something I have heard too but I have always come against all odds in my life. When I started my modelling and acting career, I was told that I don’t have the ‘boy next door’ kind of look, my features are just too sharp, I am too muscular, I have tattoos, etc. But today I am here. The most difficult phase was when I was modelling. You see I am not really tall, so I used to be told that I have a sweet face and I should try acting rather than modelling.

Acting was difficult as at that time, I couldn’t even speak Hindi properly. Most of my life, I was surrounded by Malayalis, Hyderabadis and Americans, so I had a different accent. I couldn’t emote in Hindi. That made acting very difficult for me.