Gaurav Chopra: Uttaran stopped being a challenge

Gaurav Chopra, who plays the role of Raghuvendra Pratap Rathore (RPR) in the daily soap Uttaran, has decided to quit the show. The reason? He thought there wasn’t much of a challenge left for him in the show as an actor. Excerpts from a chat:
It was a difficult decision to quit the show Uttaran was supposed to be a cameo role, a seven - episode cameo. It started four years ago.This is the longest I have ever been on a show. Gaurav Chopra, as an actor, has never been on a show for four years. I have never done a family drama. My track and my story was always like the brief I was given on the first day. They have not diluted my character, there was no kitchen politics. I got paid well and I shot at my will. There is no problem at all. It’s just that I personally felt that my contribution to the show, what impact I could create, was over. I thought that now, I will probably repeat myself. I have done comedy, love scenes and action throughout my journey on the show, and I thought it’s time for this journey to end. There is no real reason for me to quit the show. It was a difficult decision to make. The honest truth was we didn’t know whether the show will go off air or not. We saved the show and it became the number 2 show. We were given a new time slot of 10:30 pm.
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Positive characters are always shown as bechaaras on TV Positive characters get diluted in shows within six months. For some reason, if you are a positive character, you have to be a bechaara, a non-violent Mahatma Gandhi-kind of person. You cannot speak out of line. They kill your spunk. Thankfully, my character’s spunk and aggression remained intact. I wanted to reinvent myself and to get out of the comfort zone and challenge myself.
My character won’t die I don’t think they would do that (kill my character). They will always keep that option open (for the character’s comeback). I will probably shoot a couple of farewell scenes. It will be seamless. The possibility of my coming back is unlikelyThere are no issues between the producers and me. They tried to convince me to stay. But in terms of the possibility, my comeback is unlikely, though I will not say that I will never come back.
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On his future plans I need to recharge my batteries. A Delhi trip is pending. My parents wanted me to come home last Diwali, but I couldn’t come. From last November to July, it’s been eight months since I have come to Delhi. In the last couple of years, many scripts have been sent to me. I am considering projects. This will be the start of a new journey.
I am very much single Narayani (his ex-girlfriend) is a great friend. I have no problem in going out with her every day, but I haven’t met her for months. The pictures that have been circulated (of the duo in a mall together) are old ones, taken a couple of years back. I am very much single. After our break-up, we have been friends and we have been candid about it even when I was dating Mouni (Roy). In fact, my parents are trying to convince me to come and meet girls in Delhi.
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