Niti Taylor

Though detractors were quick to point out the age difference between the leads, Mehta says he has no qualms romancing someone 12 years younger. "As an artiste, you are not playing yourself but a character. I'm the go-to guy for romance on Indian television. I will happily romance anyone between 16 and 86," he quips.

Poll

Who will win the Punjab Elections?

BJP 32.86%

AAP 41.43%

INC 25.71%

Submit

View All In Poll

Ahead of the generation leap, many actors - including Mansi Shrivastava, Shrenu Parik, Kunal Jaisingh and Leenesh Mattoo - left the relationship drama. Rumours suggested that Mehta too had reservations about being part of the redux version. Quiz him on it, and he says, "I have always believed that the show is bigger than the actors. It doesn't matter if I continue to headline it or not because it will always be a huge part of me and vice versa."

While he acknowledges that he misses his previous team members, Mehta insists his primary concern is to serve the story. "We made a great ensemble [cast]. [But] It's time for another challenge for the show and as an actor, I felt it was my responsibility to fill in the shoes."

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates