‘Space Gen Chandrayan’ star Nakuul Mehta opens up on failure and dealing with insecurities; says, ‘I’ve had more failures than successes’ |
Nakuul Mehta found wide recognition on television with popular shows like ‘Ishqbaaz’ and ‘Pyaar Ka Dard Hai’. Recently he was seen in the webseries ‘Space Gen Chandrayan’, starring Shriya Saran and Danish Sait. In an exclusive conversation, Nakuul reflected on his long journey and the personal shift that fatherhood brought into his life.
Lessons from rejection and failure
Success did not arrive easily for the actor. Looking back at his audition phase. In an interview with Mid-Day, Nakuul admitted that rejection was more common than approval. As he shared, “I’ve actually had more failures than successes. I would have auditioned at least 500 times in my life from the beginning of my career and not done a hundredth of that work.”He explained that the industry forces actors to grow thick skin. “I think at some point you realize that failure is not to be taken personally, nor is success.” That realisation helped him stay grounded and emotionally steady.
Gratitude and staying present
Despite years in the industry, Nakuul does not take his career lightly. He acknowledged how improbable his journey once felt. “Like, for me to even imagine that I’d be living in Mumbai and make a career and have people watching your work is unthinkable.”He believes every project deserves full commitment. “I feel like this could be your best and last piece of work, and you’ve got to celebrate that. Then you’re constantly moving and not being bogged down by your losses or by what’s not there.”This mindset keeps him moving forward.
How fatherhood reshaped priorities
Nakuul married Jankee in 2012. The couple welcomed their son Sufi in 2021 and a daughter, Rumi, in 2025. Parenthood, he says, brought emotional clarity. “I think becoming a parent has changed a lot of things for me. Because when you go back, and in your child’s eye, all he wants is for you to be present. You live for how you can become the best version so that this person can grow up to be a better human being,”He added, “It’s not to say that I don’t have days of insecurity. I do. I’m a human being, so I have it. But you build a circle of trust and friendship around you, where you can be honest. And then days of insecurity kind of pass.”
Work-life balance
Speaking about balance, the actor made an honest observation. “I feel fathers are not considered parents on a set, unlike mothers. A mother is always a mother, who’s a working mother. It’s never a working father” Still, he takes the role seriously and accepts that some days work, others don’t.
