Mumbai: Actor Nikhil Khurana, who essays the role of Ekam Gill in the recently released web series ‘Pill’, has opened up about the ‘extensive’ preparation for his character, revealing that the shoot began without any rehearsals or workshops, which was a different experience.
Talking about his preparation for ‘Pill’, which is headlined by Riteish Deshmukh, Nikhil said: “The preparation for this role has been extensive. After several rounds of auditions — about eight to nine — I was selected by our director, Rajkumar Gupta. We started shooting without any rehearsals or workshops, which was a different experience.”
The actor added: “As an actor, you have to be ready to adapt to any character. I felt my way into the role, closely following the director’s instructions.”
The ‘Made in Heaven 2’ actor further shared that the unique aspect of his character is his youth and ambition.
“Despite being the son of a wealthy man, he has his own dreams and aspirations. People often judge him, assuming he only became CEO because of his father’s influence. He wants to prove to both his father and himself that he deserves his position. The character is a complex mix of focus, anger, and insecurities,” he said.
Nikhil praised his co-star Pavan Malhotra, saying, “He truly felt like a father figure — humble, down-to-earth, and very supportive. He creates a secure environment on set and inspires you to perform well. I would love to work with him again.”
The ‘Murder Mubarak’ actor said that shooting for ‘Pill’ was an enriching experience.
“This character was new to me, as I had previously done more light-hearted, comedic roles. This role allowed me to explore a different side of my acting capabilities and was quite liberating. Working with a great director like Raj Kumar Gupta has been a tremendous learning opportunity. Observing him was invaluable, and I will always be proud of this web series — a significant gold medal achievement in my acting career,” he concluded.
The series also features Anshul Chauhan, Akshat Chauhan, and Neha Saraf.
It chronicles the journey of a pill from production to consumption, featuring a diverse ensemble of characters including powerful pharma industrialists, corrupt doctors, medical representatives, compromised drug regulators, politicians, journalists, and whistleblowers.
Riteish stars as Prakash Chauhan, a CDSCO officer who leads the fight against corruption and confronts the powerful owner of a pharmaceutical company.
The show is streaming on JioCinema.
–IANS