When Akashdeep Saigal recently attempted to give his character Ranbir (‘Kucch Is Tara’, Sony) a boost, it didn’t get the appreciation he had expected.

Akashdeep who plays ‘hate guru’ Ranbir in the serial (launching tonight) got his right eyebrow pierced to add to the nastiness of his character. However, the creative team thought otherwise.

A source in the production house (Balaji Telefilms) reveals, “We wanted someone with a rough and villainous look. Akashdeep’s look quite suited the character of the villain. But the piercing on his brow made an overstatement. Hence, we asked him to remove it. But, he had trouble trying to get it removed. He bled profusely but the metal didn’t come off. So, we had to accept him with the piercing. Now, his pierced brow has become the trademark of his character.”

Akashdeep says, “I am not particularly interested in getting my body pierced. I did it for the role. It’s true that the creative team felt it exaggerated the character, but since I couldn’t get it removed, they decided to continue with the look.”

‘Kucch Is Tara’ is about a middle- class girl’s (Kanya played by Dimple Jhangiani) dream of falling in love. However, every time, there is a romantic scene, the girl and the boy get hit by the hate guru’s cupid that creates a rift between them.

Akashdeep says, “This role is like that of Jack Nicholson’s in ‘As Good As It Gets’. Ranbir hates people who love ‘love’. So when ever he sees anyone going near love, he brainwashes them. I am glad playing this role —it’s a complete diversion from the saas-bahu soaps. I think this serial is a breakthrough.”