Known for stepping into complex grey and antagonist roles across popular television shows like Phulwa, Junoon – Aisi Nafrat Toh Kaisa Ishq, Saraswatichandra, and Yeh Hai Mohabbatein, actor Mithil Jain has consistently brought intense drama to the small screen. Currently featured in Zee TV’s Tu Hi Re Dil Mein, Mithil plays the high-octane character of Nirav, a manipulative and torturous husband.
Unpacking the nuances of his current role, Mithil reveals that Nirav’s dark personality is central to driving the show’s tension across major plotlines. “Nirav is a highly manipulative and torturous husband to Rupal. It is a challenge to play a character with quite a lot of variations. Nirav is an abusive husband, no doubt, but maintains a fun-loving nature when in the midst of her family. He lives in his wife’s home after marriage, but behind that setup lies a very deceitful persona. Whoever trusts him is essentially finished. It is a very versatile and multi-layered character to play, especially as he has dynamic tracks running parallel with the three key characters—Vrinda, Sanjay, and Sarita.”
Having navigated the television industry across various formats, Mithil emphasises the value of working alongside seasoned co-stars on set. Tu Hi Re Dil Mein has a great ensemble cast with senior actors leading the way. “Sharing screen space and interacting with experienced actors brings immense industry insight. You get to see the overall evolution of performance style firsthand. Surrounding yourself with good, dedicated talent makes a world of difference work-wise, and it keeps the creative environment very fulfilling.”
Talking about the phase being very unclear, with no ratings to validate the performance of tracks and shows, Mithil points out that the team remains focused on keeping the core story intact in this indecisive phase. “At the end of the day, how a character lands with the audience is decided by TRP ratings and time spent viewing. As of now, we aren’t overhauling things purely with the absence of ratings; we are working around a structured trial-and-error approach while honouring the core narrative as originally conceived. We are sticking to the story without drastically altering it based on what instantly works or doesn’t, and we are hoping to see great ratings soon.”
Reflecting on his experience with the show, the actor expresses satisfaction with the team’s response to his performance. “It has been an overwhelming journey so far. I am thoroughly enjoying playing Nirav, and it is incredibly gratifying that my scenes are being deeply appreciated by the team.”
