Saru: Shagun Pandey gets into teacher mode, shares his homework for the role of Ved

Time of India

2 days ago

TV's latest fiction offering, Saru, brings to the screen the inspiring journey of a determined young woman from Khares village in Rajasthan, who dares to challenge societal norms in pursuit of higher education.
Bringing this powerful and ambitious story to life is debutante Mohak Matkar as Saru alongside the charming Shagun Pandey as Ved. Both actors have gone above and beyond to lend authenticity to their roles, not just through performance but by truly immersing themselves in the culture and spirit of the region.
While Mohak captures Saru's raw determination and innocence, Shagun takes on a refreshing departure from his earlier roles to portray a thoughtful and composed English professor, Ved.
Known for his high-energy performances, this role gave Shagun the chance to tap into a more intellectual and grounded persona, one that required him to consciously recalibrate his tone, body language, and overall presence. What sets his preparation apart is the depth of involvement he brought to the classroom sequences.
Not content with just performing scripted lines, Shagun actually curated and wrote his own lectures to impart to the students, carefully deciding what to teach, how much to teach, and how to present it in a way that felt both informative and engaging to viewers.
His goal was simple: make it look and feel like real lectures, not just another Television scene.
Portraying Ved has been an eye-opening and enriching experience for Shagun, who is keen to do justice to the role of a teacher. As Shagun said, 'As soon as I found out that Ved is an English professor, I realised this role would be unlike anything I've done before. Unlike my previous characters, who were often caught in intense family dynamics, Ved had to teach a classroom and connect with students in a calm, composed way.
That meant doing my homework, literally. I didn't just want to memorise lines; I wanted the classroom scenes to feel real, like something a viewer could actually learn from. So, I sat down and designed short, impactful lectures for the students, deciding what topics to cover and how to deliver them in a way that was simple yet effective. Since Zee TV reaches such a broad audience, I felt it was important to break things down, starting with basic tenses and grammar, something a lot of people still struggle with.'
He added, 'There's a certain skill and responsibility that comes with playing a teacher on screen. Hence, I worked hard on how Ved communicates—how he explains ideas, the kind of examples he gives, and how he simplifies even complex things. I took input from people around me, did a fair bit of reading, and tried to get into the head of someone who teaches not just with knowledge, but with empathy. I also took inspiration from my teachers and how they taught us as well! I truly hope I've done justice to the role and that the audience connects with Ved.
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Clearly, Shagun Pandey has not only reinvented himself as an actor for Saru, but also attempted to bring a grounded realism to the role of an educator on screen. His dedication and detail-driven approach promise to make Ved a standout character in a show that's already winning hearts with its message of empowerment through education.