I still don’t understand what is there in me that people love me so much... but... I thank god!” smiled Karan Kundra. In town for Caliesta 2015, presented by the University of Calcutta Students’ Union, in association with The Telegraph-YOU  — his first visit to a Calcutta campus fest — the 30-year-old TV heart-throb spoke to t2 about the ‘Karan Kundra girl’ and more. 

Do campus fests bring back memories of your college life? 
Oh, definitely! It brings back a lot of memories.... When I was in college (Apeejay College of Fine Arts, Jalandhar), then too celebrities would visit our campus. It’s nice to directly interact with the audience that you cater to. It is like a reality check for us as well. While in college, I was a part of three fests, but I never did anything! (Laughs) That time I thought it was a waste of time, but now I think for all-round development and formation of personality, one should participate in fest-related activities.

How were you as a student?
I was a very good student till Class X because it was an all-boys’ school (Mayo College, Ajmer). Then I got into a co-ed school... and that ruined everything! (Laughs) I got 88 per cent in Class X which came down to 72 per cent in Class XII. My dad was like, ‘Ab toh yeh haath se nikal gaya… ladkiyan mil gayi hain isey!’

And today, you have a huge female fan following... 
(Smiles) I think I should enjoy it till it lasts! 

You must have witnessed a lot of crazy fan incidents...
That happens every now and then. When I was doing the show (Kitani Mohabbat Hai on NDTV Imagine), people would actually write letters using their blood! Such a handkerchief had actually come to the channel’s office. I wouldn’t do something like that for anybody in my life! Sometimes little girls come to my place. I make them sit, have lunch with me and then I drop them home because I don’t know how they will go back. Since my shows have also been translated in the Arabic countries, I have fans from everywhere. It’s funny, but I have even got marriage proposals from princesses in royal families in Egypt and Saudi Arabia! 

How do your parents react to this craziness around you? 
My dad is a really cool guy. He had a love marriage and he happened to beat up my mom’s brothers who are now my mamas! When others praise me, my father says, ‘Yeh kharbooja hai! Baahar se aisa hai, andar isey kaatoge toh kuch nahin hai!’ He is a proper badmaash! He holds my hand and tells me to say, ‘Bol main gadha hoon’. I say, ‘Haan, Papa main gadha hoon!’ (Laughs)

Is marriage on the cards anytime soon?
News ke hisaab se toh mere do bachche ho gaye! But right now I don’t have any plans as I am focused on my work. I am producing and acting... I will start work on my film Ram Pam Posh. There is another rom com that we shot for last year in Agra. I have to travel so much... I have been doing two shows — MTV He Ticket and MTV Roadies X2 — simultaneously. Then I had to host MTV Splitsvilla 8 for some episodes because Rannvijay (who is hosting the show with Sunny Leone) had some prior commitments. Which normal girl will understand all this? (Smiles)

Karan Kundra’s girl must be...
Jo mujhse badi badmaash ho! I want a rockstar. When I feel the need for a companion, then I will start looking around.

What’s a normal day in your life like? 
There is nothing normal in my life! The last time I lived in a routine was seven-eight years ago. Besides work, I have to adjust gym time, meetings and socialising. We are in a profession that is demanding. If I finish late and the gym shuts, I walk up and down the stairs of my building. I live on the 11th floor... on days I don’t get to go to the gym, I walk up and down 17 floors at least 10 times! If I don’t do that, then there will be somebody else sitting here in my place and giving this interview! (Smiles) 

You experiment a lot with your looks...
All my stylists have told me that I can carry off anything! (Laughs) My problem is I don’t understand what I am wearing. I don’t care about what I am wearing. Today I am wearing a ganji. I was wearing the same ganji in Goa a few days ago while drinking beer. I have just worn a linen jacket over it. It’s all about mixing and matching. 
Grooming is very important and so is being confident. It is your attitude that one falls for and not your clothes or watches. 

You are quite active on social media. How does that help in connecting with fans? 
Fans need to know what I am doing and what I stand for. It’s been six years (on social media) and I am a pro at it now. Instagram is pretty cool. If I am partying, I don’t put up pictures. But before going somewhere, if I want people to see how I am dressed up, I put up pictures (smiles). 

You are now concentrating on reality shows, so have you outgrown the fiction space?
If I have to go somewhere for a month, what will I do if I have to  shoot a daily soap? It’s not that I have become big... I just can’t give any commitment. I get crazy offers.  And besides, it’s not only about the money... I need to feel content about my work. 

Is there anybody whose work inspires you? 
I compete with myself. I am a chilled-out person. I have realised whatever has to happen will happen, so you just have to keep faith. I am very content with myself. My parents and sisters are proud of me. People love me. What else do I need in life? 

I am working hard every day. I have goals and ambitions, but I am not mad about them. I make sure everything that I do is better than the last thing I did. That’s the only way to go ahead. Everybody can’t be Al Pacino or Steve Jobs or Bill Gates!

Ratnalekha Mazumdar
I am the suitable girl for Karan Kundra because.... Tell t2@abp.in
Pictures: Sayantan Ghosh