Mumbai: Adnan Khan has come a long way from playing Kabir in Ishq Subhan Allah to portraying complex and evolving characters in Katha Ankahee, Pracchand Ashok and now Mannat – Har Khushi Paane Ki. With every role, the actor has explored a different facet of his craft, gradually moving from simply taking up opportunities to choosing projects that genuinely challenge and excite him creatively.
As Vikrant Saluja in Mannat, Adnan has won appreciation for bringing warmth, intensity and emotional depth to the character. Describing Vikrant as a “green flag” and a beautiful human being without major baggage, the actor says the role has been an interesting journey, particularly through emotionally demanding tracks and dramatic changes in the storyline.
Adnan’s own journey has been equally compelling. Leaving a stable HR career in Dubai, he returned to Mumbai and faced years of auditions before establishing himself in the television industry. He credits resilience and his mother’s support for helping him navigate those difficult years.
In an engaging conversation, Adnan opens up about his evolution as an actor, his experience on the sets of Mannat, audience feedback, working with Ayesha Singh and the ensemble cast, and his plans to move behind the camera. He also reveals his desire to make a feature film and explore comedy as an actor.
Q1. How are you feeling about the love and response Mannat – Har Khushi Paane Ki has been receiving so far?
I just consider myself really, really lucky. The fact that Mannat has worked as well as it has and has been received so warmly is something I genuinely count my blessings for. I thank God that our creators and producers are smart and creative enough to pursue a story and entertain people for such a long time. In today’s world, it is really difficult to make a show last as long as it has and still be so well received. So, I feel extremely lucky and grateful.
Q2. What was your first reaction when you were offered the role of Vikrant Saluja?
I wouldn’t say I had any particular reaction. For me, the reason why I do this work has changed over time. That change beautifully translated into every department of the craft. It started during Katha, when I began falling in love with the craft of acting, and that love helped me grow. So, today, it is more about the reason behind why I am doing it rather than just doing a role.
Q3. Looking back at your journey from Ishq Subhan Allah (Kabir) to Katha Ankahee (Viaan), Pracchand Ashok (Ashok), and now Mannat (Vikrant) — how do you feel you have evolved as an actor?
I think the biggest evolution has been in my relationship with the craft. When I started out, I was looking at acting differently, but during Katha, I genuinely started falling in love with the process. That changed the way I approached my work and helped me grow as an actor. Today, I am much more conscious of what I want to explore and what excites me creatively.
Q4. Which of these characters has challenged you the most, and why?
That is a difficult one. I would definitely say Ashoka was challenging. I would also pick Abhimanyu in Mannat, when I had to become Punjabi for a while. That was quite difficult for me. I cannot take away from Katha either because our director was such a taskmaster and perfectionist. The standards he set were extremely high, and he simply wouldn’t settle for anything less. So, I would choose Ashoka, Abhimanyu in Mannat, and Katha.
Q5. You left a stable career as an HR manager in Dubai to pursue acting in Mumbai and gave hundreds of auditions. What kept you going during those tough years?
I think God has blessed me with resilience — the ability to tolerate uncomfortable situations, even for slightly prolonged periods. That really helped me. I also cannot take away from the fact that I had my mother with me during those difficult times. I am from Bombay, so being here and having my mother around was a huge source of strength and support for me.
Q6. How would you describe Vikrant in your own words? What drew you to this character?
I would describe Vikrant as a green flag — a beautiful human being who, at least when I started, had no major issues or baggage. I don’t think we had written his trauma into the character at that point. He was simply this wonderful human being who was not carrying any baggage, and that was something I really liked about him.
Q7. Vikrant is a layered, intense, and passionate character. How do you prepare for the emotional and intense sequences?
I think what really helps us prepare for such intense and emotional sequences is the writing and the buildup that our producers provide. I honestly don’t think I can take much credit for that. I would give credit to our writers, direction team and directors because the foundation they create makes it possible for us to perform those scenes effectively.
Q8. Has playing a passionate restaurateur in the show reignited or deepened your own real-life interest in food and restaurants?
I don’t think anything can reignite or deepen my interest in food because it is already impossible to increase it any further! I am a born foodie. Food is something I genuinely love, and there is very little that I love more than it. So, no, nothing can deepen it any further.
Q9. Which recent track or scene of Vikrant has been the most satisfying or difficult for you to perform?
The Punjabi track was definitely very difficult for me. Apart from that, the track where Vikrant goes against his family and finds himself opposing his mother and father was also quite tough emotionally. Those were challenging experiences for me as an actor.
Q10. How has the experience of working with Ayesha Singh (Mannat) and the rest of the cast and crew been?
It has been fantastic. Apart from Ayesha, there is Manet, Hassan, Swati ma’am, Sharon, Mona Basu and so many other talented actors. I have been surrounded by some incredible talent. They constantly raised the bar and kept me on my feet. I am genuinely thankful that I got the opportunity to work with all these people. It has been a fantastic experience.
Q11. What is a typical day like on the sets of Mannat?
It is mostly about staying prepared, showing up and giving your best to whatever the day brings. Television is a very fast-paced medium, so there is always something to work on. A lot of consistency and focus are required because you are constantly moving from one scene to another.
Q12. The show has had major twists, revelations, and a time leap. How do you stay consistent with the character through such big changes?
I would give most of the credit to my direction team and my directors. They keep me in check. If I am straying away from the character or missing the emotional baggage required for a particular scene, they remind me. Their guidance helps me remain consistent, especially when the character goes through major changes.
Q13. How does the audience’s love and feedback affect you? Is there any particular message or reaction from fans that stayed with you?
I honestly cannot pick one particular reaction because I am such a harsh critic of myself. Even when fans compliment me, I sometimes brush it off because I feel they are just being kind or nice. But somewhere, those reactions do make me realise that perhaps they genuinely like the show and the work. I do struggle a little with accepting love and compliments. However, when there is something that feels off and feedback comes in, I immediately take notice of it. I don’t forget it easily, and subconsciously, I feel I work on it.
Q14. Do you read comments or interact with fans online? How do you handle both praise and criticism?
Absolutely, I interact with fans online. As far as praise is concerned, I don’t really let it get to my head. With criticism, I have become a much better judge of it than I was earlier. Now I try to understand whether the criticism is about something that was actually under my control. If it was something I could have done better, I focus on fixing it. If it was related to something like the writing of a scene, I try not to let it affect me too much. Earlier, criticism would make me question myself and think that maybe I wasn’t an actor or couldn’t do this. I have gotten much better at dealing with it now. Instead of feeling like a victim, I try to learn from it and do something constructive with the feedback.
Q15. What is the biggest lesson the television industry has taught you so far?
Someone once told me that television is like a Test series, not a T20. You may have five scenes to perform in a day, and if one scene doesn’t go well, you cannot let that failure consume you because you have to move on to the next one. Similarly, if you perform a scene extremely well, you cannot get carried away by that either because you have to do it all over again. That, for me, is the greatness of television. It teaches you consistency and resilience.
Q16. How do you choose your projects now compared to earlier in your career?
Earlier, honestly, I would do almost anything that came my way. I won’t pretend otherwise. But now I choose projects more based on how I feel about them. I ask myself whether the story excites me and whether the project is going to challenge me in some way. I have started paying more attention to the story and to what creatively draws me towards a project.
Q17. You have also worked in films (Baazi, Tumko Meri Kasam) and recently directed a short film. How does working in different formats differ for you?
Every format has its own process and challenges. Acting has taught me a lot about performance, while direction has given me a completely different understanding of filmmaking and the craft as a whole. I enjoy exploring different aspects of the industry because each experience teaches me something new.
Q18. Can you share anything about your upcoming projects or what kind of roles you are looking forward to next?
Hopefully, my next project will be my own directorial. Ideally, I would love to work on my feature film. If that takes some more time, I definitely want to make another short film. I am really looking forward to exploring filmmaking from behind the camera as well.
Q19. Any dream role or genre you still want to explore?
I really want to do comedy. That is something I would genuinely love to explore. I think it would be exciting and challenging for me to step into a completely different space and work on comedy.
Q20. Where do you see yourself five years from now — both professionally and personally?
I am hoping that my feature film is out by then and that I have a much better understanding and handle on the craft of filmmaking. Inshallah, I hope that five years from now I am stable enough to choose projects purely out of passion and not because of financial reasons.
Q21. What would you like to say to your fans who have supported you from Ishq Subhan Allah to Mannat?
To all the fans who have supported me throughout this journey, from Ishq Subhan Allah to Mannat, I just want to say thank you so much. I am extremely grateful that you have been a part of my journey and have continued to support me. Thank you for always being there.
Q22. Any final message or something special you’d like to share with our readers?
I would simply like to say thank you for being there and for being a part of this journey. The love and support from the audience mean a lot to me, and I am truly grateful for it.
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