A personality that needs no introduction- Heart throb Karan Thacker. The actor who made his acting debut with ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ and made his name in the television world with some of the best TV serials. Recently he is being singled out for praise for his turn as RAW agent Farooq Ali in web “Special Ops” and we can’t stop crushing on our favourite boy next door! In an exclusive interview with The Post India he talks about his plans this Friday and much more.

What is your plan for the weekend?

Considering we are in Covid-19 times, everyday pretty much feels like the weekend and the weekend never feels like a weekend. But the idea is to just sit at home. I do spend a whole lot of time with my family. We always make an effort towards gathering together in the living room somewhere around early evening. We make the most of that time and drink a couple of glasses of wine. There is a whole lot of chitter-chatter that happens. We all catch up on each other’s lives. The general gossip around this time has got to do with Covid-19. Other than that, I indulge in watching a whole lot of films during the weekends. That aids the kind of work that I do as an actor. I enjoy watching other people’s work because it adds a little bit of value to me. I try to understand what that content is speaking to me. I sketch over the weekends. On Sunday afternoons, we always have a debauchery lunch which is prepared by my mother and that leads all of us to a deep slumber (laughs). I really look forward to that afternoon nap. I go downstairs and we’ve a half court where I play a little bit of basketball. That’s something that I’ve recently started. I’m enjoying all of that. Music, in general, takes a forefront in my life and that’s not just restricted to the weekend but weekend music, for me, is a lot of deep house and chill beats. I like listening to some old jazz. It serves as a nice backdrop to all the conversations that we have as a family when we’re sitting together. Wine flows beautifully with jazz music. So, that’s how my weekend looks like.

What are three things you are most grateful for this Friday?

Just the word ‘Friday’ is a very gratifying feeling because every time you hear it, you go, ‘Thank God it’s Friday!’ You just know that the week has come to an end. That feeling, in itself, brings so much gravitas to Fridays. The happiness that comes with it is what I’m the most thankful for. On another note, I’m really thankful that my family and I are all safe and healthy and fortunately, none of us have fallen sick in these six months given the current circumstances. In general, I’m very grateful for the fact that India has finally started reporting smaller numbers when it comes to Covid-19.

What song are you enjoying the week?
I’m suddenly finding my love for rap all over again. So, I’m tripping over Travis Scott. I really like The Plan, a track from Tenet which has become my number song. I start my workouts with this song. I also love Popstar by DJ Khaled and Drake. But house, in general, takes a lot of forefront for me. I really enjoy waking up to some nice house music and some chill beats. I really love this artiste, Lost Frequencies. Somebody I really enjoy off late is Prateek Kuhad. I love the songs that he does. There’s a sense of nostalgia to the way he does his music. I love that feeling of reminiscing, in general.

What’s your weekend morning routine?

I’m generally not a late riser. I’m up around eight o’clock every day, whether it’s the weekend or not. It has become a habit now to wake up early. After waking up, I help myself with a whole lot of water because I wake up really parched. I get a cup of coffee. Chai and coffee are part of our morning ritual. If you’re a Punjabi, you’d know that a cup of chai or coffee is a big deal in Punjabi households. Post that, we gather together. On weekends, even my sister is free. We’ve these massive family discussions in the morning and so, our breakfast gets pushed a little late. I cook breakfast for my family over the weekend. If it’s a Saturday, I go train myself. If it’s a Sunday, I take the whole day off and I chill. My dad and I watch movies in the afternoon.

Any web show you are currently enjoying?

I just finished a show on Amazon Prime called The Looming Tower. It’s just fantastic. It’s a CBI versus FBI show that says that if everybody was in the right frame of mind and they complied and were in alliance with each other, they could have saved the event that happened on 9/11 in the United States. The performances were incredible. I really enjoyed that show. I love watching Schitt’s Creek. I’m on the last season. I’m one of those people who know that only four episodes are left and so, I’m intentionally not going back to the show. They aren’t starting another season. I know that this is the end season and I’m getting a little upset about that (laughs). I feel like I’m hiding away from reality. It is laced with subtle humour which makes it a lot of fun.

Are you a Tea or Coffee Person?

I’m a coffee person. I like waking up to the smell of coffee. The brewing of coffee invigorates me. I really relish that smell. At times, you’ll see me embarrassingly standing in front of my coffee machine and I’m waiting to smell the coffee when it drops (laughs). The fragrance that coffee has is beautiful.

What’s your favourite comfort food?

Instead of comfort food, I’ll call it cheat meal. My favourite cheat meal is a McDonald’s burger. I tend to do that once a week. I park my car right outside McDonald’s and I’ll order myself two McChickens and one chocolate milkshake and I’ll just guzzle it. I love the idea of eating a freshly fried burger. Now that we can’t sit in the restaurants and home delivery makes them soggy, I pick it up the café and immediately finish it once I sit inside my car. They are nice and crunchy.

What is the funniest thing you have read about yourself on the internet?

The funniest thing that I’ve read about myself is about my height. Wikipedia assumes that I’m 5’7” or 5’8”. It’s ridiculous! In actuality, I’m 5’10.5”. That’s funny, annoying and extremely disappointing. That’s a reflection of the lack of research on the Internet. I somewhere also read that I’m married which I’m absolutely not. That’s hilarious!

What’s your guilty pleasure?

I’ve a whole lot of guilty pleasures. To start with, I really enjoy my glass of wine and my scotch. I wouldn’t call it a guilty pleasure; it’s just something that I enjoy doing. I’m a responsible drinker. More often than not, I drink with my family. That further makes me a little more cautious about what I’m doing. But I really relish both of those because I feel there’s a certain charm to drinking wine and whiskey. It’s like a beautiful story and you know exactly what you’re drinking. It’s an exploration of flavours. That’s something that I truly enjoy.

Your favourite quote?

My favourite quote is from Jerry Maguire. It goes like, “If you don’t work from your heart, the brain is of no use.” That’s something I really live by. I try to put my heart into everything that I do. I don’t really try to think very clinically. As a person, I’m emotionally very inclined. I front foot with that. I think it’s paving out pretty well because I’ve managed to build a whole lot of good relationships over the years. Even my career is instilled with passion which has got to do a lot with the heart.

What’s your spirit animal?

I love horses. They are gorgeous. I love tigers. But I’m a real sucker for a dog. I don’t know if that makes a dog my spirit animal. If it does, then that’s beautiful! Dogs are adorable.

Where would you like to go on vacation when the pandemic is over?

I’ve often thought that I want to go on a holiday but more than anything, I’m dying to get back to a set. That’s what I need right now to rejuvenate me. I want to get to work and I want my mind to be active. I want to feel sharp and active again. Being on a set would truly be like a paid holiday. In the beginning of the year, I was thinking about how I wish I could go on a vacation! But now that we have been sitting at home for six months, our bodies have slowed down. The one place I would like to go for a vacation would maybe someplace a shoot for a project could take me to. That way, I would be working and be in a different location. That would give me a sense of being on a holiday as well. Truth be said, that would be the most rejuvenating thing for me because working really makes me happy. I love outdoor shoots. So, I feel that the combination of both would be perfect for me. That would be the most ideal situation.

What advice do you have for any kid who looks up to you?

When I kick-started my career, I really followed my heart and went with my gut feeling. Now that I look back at things, the one thing that life has taught me and I really cherish it is failure. I truly feel that success doesn’t teach you much. It is failure that really takes you ahead in life because it helps you shape and outline your future and your life much better. I would definitely tell everyone to follow their dream and if you are passionate about something, then don’t be afraid to fail. In fact, you should look forward to failing because every time you fail, it gives you a stride in your step and pushes you to the next step. If you truly believe in something and want to make it your career, you should follow your heart, take your dreams forward and feel liberated and evolved while you are at it and don’t let failure stunt your dreams.