‘Aap kitni khaoge’: Abhay Verma on fitness, fashion, perfecting rotis and life beyond the camera

He stood out as Flying Officer Rajpal Singh (RS) Dhaliwal in the series Operation Safed Sagar and as Bittu in Munjya, but Abhay Verma admits that as a child, he never intended to become an actor. But over the years, as the “red marks” on his report card kept increasing, he decided that becoming a scientist or pilot would be challenging. Then, he watched Ram-Leela, and life took a turn for the better.

Today, he calls being on sets a “blessing”. In an exclusive email interview, the actor opens up about his journey, his evolution as an artiste, diet, fitness, love for ghar ka khana and the art of making perfect rotis!

Read the edited excerpts below:

Since your debut in 2023, you’ve been a part of some notable projects, with Safed Sagar marking an important moment in your journey. How has the experience been? What has this phase meant for you as an actor?

Abhay Verma: You know, I would say it has been nothing short of magical. It is an absolute blessing to be on different film sets, something I have always wanted to do throughout my life. And to receive this kind of love from people so early on, the very people I want to dedicate my love, my life and my work to, I think that is truly a blessing.

And in this phase of my journey, to be able to get a respectable show like Operation Safed Sagar, which brings with it an immense amount of respect and a different kind of love that travels across generations, is something very special.

So, for me, I really think there has to be something poetic about a guy called Abhay Verma, coming from Panipat to the City of Dreams, Mumbai, getting to be on film sets, headlining films, and working for the very people whose love he has always wanted.

Being an actor, like any profession, comes with its share of ups and downs. The ups are always celebrated, but how do you deal with shelved projects, delays, and roles without it taking a toll on your mental health?

Abhay Verma: I mean, the very first film that I did, I shot it eight years ago, but it never came out. So, honestly, in my generation’s language, which is Gen Z, I think the setback was real.

That said, there’s a sweet saying: ignorance is bliss, and I really believe it. Not just for the bad things or the lows that come in your life, but for the ups as well. I think it’s most important to be who you are, regardless of the love, money, or respect you’re getting.

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I think it’s important to hold your ground and remember where you come from, because our stories are what make us unique. They are what take us forward in life and make us stand out from the rest of the world.

So, honestly, I just don’t take it too seriously. I don’t take success too seriously because I do this for the love of it. And I don’t take failures, or even films that may never see the light of day, too seriously either. I think everything has its own destiny, and I have mine. And I would like to believe in the positive side of it.

Tell us about your journey. How much, do you feel, you have evolved as an actor?

Abhay Verma: I think these are two very distinct, very different lives that I have lived. I wouldn’t say roles that I have played, but really different lives. One was a transgender person, and the other was a fighter pilot, but both carry the same humanity that should exist within all of us. Both have the same love for their own communities.

I feel very blessed to be in a position where producers and directors trust me to portray both of these roles. And I think every character brings something new into your life. Through that, the best thing that happens is you become a better person.

So, my aim and my agenda every day is simply to become a little better person than I was yesterday and be able to show my face to my mom at home.

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As an actor, the audience expects you to appear a certain way. Tell us about your public persona. And how different is it from the real you?

Abhay Verma: Oh, honestly, it’s not very different. The only place where I feel I am different, and where I would actually love to be different from myself, is on a film set. That’s the only place where I want to step away from who I am and become someone else.

Otherwise, I am pretty confident and comfortable with myself, with everything around me and with the respect that I receive.

You also seem to be strict about your fitness. What does your daily workout routine entail?

Abhay Verma: Oh, if I take you through my daily routine, it really starts with waking up early in the morning, around 5 am, drinking as much water as I can, having something to eat and then hitting the gym, going for a run or swimming.

But one thing I especially make sure of is starting my day without my phone, because that really takes a toll on you. Early in the morning, you’re already overwhelming yourself with TMI, too much information. So, for me, starting my day without my phone and with some form of physical activity is absolutely mandatory.

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For the rest of the day, I’m someone who came into this field partly because I didn’t want a proper schedule in life. I wanted to wake up in one part of the country and sleep in another. That’s something I really aim for: work that takes me to different places.

But yes, no matter where I am or what my schedule looks like, that start to my day is mandatory.

While at it, do also take us through your everyday diet: the carbs, protein, fats, and all of it?

Abhay Verma: It’s pretty simple, actually. It’s ghar ka khaana, maa ke haath ka khaana that has really been helping me. But of course, when you’re preparing for a character, like I was for Dhaliwal Sir in Operation Safed Sagar, you need a certain firmness and physicality. So, during that phase, I was literally checking everything gram by gram.

Although I’m from Haryana, I’m all about ghee, makhan, and parathas! But sadly, or maybe not so sadly, I actually enjoy that phase of my life where I have to calculate what I’m eating. So, on usual days, I don’t really worry about it as much. But when I’m working towards something and need to get into a certain shape, I’m like a horse with blinkers on. I don’t look in any other direction.

Take us through your style and grooming mantra. And your clean-shaven look.

Abhay Verma: My clean-shaven look actually doesn’t take too long. It takes me a minute or two to get that clean-shaven look. With Gillette Mach3 3D Flexi Head, getting clean-shaven is so much easier, even around tricky areas like my neck and chin.

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My styling mantra is simple. I follow my elder brother. Honestly, I have very bad taste in clothing and everything, but my elder brother Abhishek really helps me a lot. When it comes to grooming, I’m pretty sure of myself, but not so much with clothing.

So, I just follow my elder brother. And sometimes, it’s nice to follow your elders. You can even raise your pocket money.

Your brother is also an actor. What learnings did he share with you that you also tend to follow?

Abhay Verma: I’d like to share one of the first lessons he taught me, which I think might help other young actors like me, too.

When I was starting eight years ago, he sweetly told me something that became one of the most important lessons of my life. He said, “Whenever you give an audition, whether you get shortlisted or you don’t, just give your audition and forget about it.”

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And that has really stayed with me to this day. I do what I need to do, then I forget about it because it helps me start the next day afresh, without carrying the previous day with me. I think that’s genuinely one of the biggest lessons an actor can learn in Mumbai.

My aim and agenda every day is to become a little better person than I was yesterday and be able to show my face to my mom at home, says Abhay Verma. (PR handout)

Did you always want to become an actor? If so, did you also have a Plan B—for a “just in case” scenario?

Abhay Verma: Honestly, I didn’t initially think of becoming an actor. First, I wanted to become a scientist. Then, when I learned that studies and maths were important for that, I decided I wanted to become a pilot. But then I realised that physics was important too! So I was like, okay, let’s find something else.

I remember, I think after my ninth grade, the red marks on my report card at the end of the year just kept increasing. And my mother would look at me and probably think, okay, this is clearly not happening for him; I need to do something about him! I think the realisation came to me a little later, when I was 14. Which, actually, isn’t that late!

I remember watching Ram-Leela and being so inspired by what I felt after watching that film. I simply thought, what if I could return those same feelings to other people? I thought that would be something really special.

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One thing not many people know about Abhay Verma.

Abhay Verma: One thing not many people know about me is that I cook really well! Yeah, I’m a solid roti maker. Nobody makes rotis like me at home, except my mother, of course.

I actually learnt to make rotis because of my work. I was doing an advertisement with Akshay Kumar Sir, and that’s when I learnt how to make them.

But you know, sometimes what’s a blessing for one person can become a curse for another! When Covid happened, for those two years, I was made to sit in the kitchen and make rotis for everyone. I kept asking, “Aap kitni khaoge? Aap kitni khaoge?” and then made all the rotis together.

Meanwhile, my brother, my cousins, or the friends I was staying with would take on the easier job of making the sabzi. But rotis? That was always my department. So yeah, I guess it was a blessing in its own way.