Young actor Sarwam Kulkarni has stepped into Star Plus and Rajan Shahi’s Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai in the role of Rishabh. Known more for his OTT work, in projects like Yeh Meri Family, Kafas, etc, Sarwam admits television wasn’t on his radar until this track came along.
“I wasn’t really planning on doing TV, but when this character-driven show came up, I said yes,” he says. Once on set, the familiarity helped. “I found out a friend was shooting, too. Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai is huge, and the director and team are incredible.”
Rishabh has entered the Poddar household through Disha Bua, played by Isha Dheerwani, and has quickly become entangled with the next-gen storyline. He’s now positioned as a love interest to Maira and Mukti, the daughters of Abhira and Armaan, portrayed by Arshiya Sharma and Sarah Killedar, respectively.
The scale of the show caught him off guard. “After we shot, the fans started making arrangements, people watched it, and it felt like I was part of something big,” Sarwam shares. Beyond the numbers, it was the off-screen equation that stood out. “The best part was the bond I formed with the senior actors—it felt like family. Even after the shoot, we sit together and make plans. I’ve never connected with people this quickly before.”
For Sarwam, the real challenge has been Rishabh’s shift in the graph. The character started as the ‘good boy’ but has now slipped into a darker, more layered space. “The role is challenging, the treatment is different, the script is strong,” he explains.
In TV, the actor has been seen in shows Pandya Store, Pushpa Impossible, Krishna Mohini and Kundali Bhagya.
