COLORS’ ‘Do Duniya Ek Dil’ has already been swiped right by every viewer’s heart since its premiere, drawing audiences into a world where the offline and online realms collide in the most unexpected ways. At the centre of this story is Shivaay (played by Vikram Singh Chauhan), a man who built his dreams on the belief that technology could do good, until a brutal digital scam strips him of everything and leaves him completely distraught. Then there is Aadhya (played by Rachi Sharma), a young social media influencer who has built her whole identity in the online universe. These two could not be more different and yet love finds a way. The devastating twist in the plot is that Aadhya is the daughter of Baldev Singh (Sudhanshu Pandey), the man who engineered Shivaay’s downfall. Essaying the role of Shivaay, Vikram Singh Chauhan opens up about playing a man whose faith in the digital world is shattered, just as love enters his life from the very space he has walked away from.
- Tell us about ‘Do Duniya Ek Dil’. What made you say yes to the show?
- What immediately stayed with me when I heard the story was how relevant it feels in the world we live in today. It’s a love story set between two very different realities we experience on a daily basis. Shivaay is someone who once believed technology could empower people and create opportunities, but when a scam wipes out everything he has built, the loss doesn’t just hurt him financially; it completely breaks his trust in the digital world. He chooses to step away from it and focus on real conversations and genuine connections. On the other hand, Aadhya is a social media influencer who lives and breathes the online universe. When these two completely different people fall in love, their relationship becomes a constant push and pull between what is real and what exists online.Their relationship is pushed to the brink as secrets surrounding Aadhya’s identity and the possibility that her father is responsible for his ruin threaten to surface.The conflicts depicted in the show felt extremely relatable to me because our lives today constantly move between two spaces, the real world and the one that exists online. We’re also living in a time where validation has moved online. A like, a comment or a viral moment can suddenly start defining how people feel about themselves. Shivaay thought he had logged out of that world, until love logged him back in, and that emotional contradiction is what made me say yes to the show. It is Gen-Z storytelling with a Millennial vibe that will make Boomers smile.
- Tell us about your character Shivaay.
- Shivaay is the angry young man of the digital age. His anger comes from betrayal and loss. He genuinely believed in technology and progress, and when a cyber scam wipes out everything he has built, that belief collapses overnight. He trusted the system completely and was deeply scarred by it. That experience leaves him guarded and cautious, but it also pushes him to question what really matters. Beneath that anger is someone who values real emotions and genuine human connections. He loves Aadhya and has a poetic flair about expressing his feelings. Even though he loses everything, he is determined to start fresh with the lessons he has learned. Shivaay is someone who refuses to let the digital world decide how he lives or loves, and that emotional contradiction becomes the heart of his journey.
- How did you prepare for this role?
- For Shivaay, I didn’t want to treat the scam as just a plot point that moves the story forward. We hear about incidents like this all the time today, people losing their savings or even their businesses overnight because of one digital fraud. We trust the internet with our lives today, but one wrong click can destroy everything. While preparing for the role, I read about a few real cyber fraud cases and the experiences people shared after going through something like that. What stayed with me was how much it affects their sense of trust. The money is one part of it, but the bigger damage is emotional. People become more cautious, more guarded.
- The show explores the contrast between the online and offline worlds. How do you see that difference, especially when it comes to relationships and emotions?
- I think the digital world has made it much easier for actors to stay connected with their audience. Earlier that connection happened through television or interviews, but today you see reactions instantly through social media. Sometimes I read comments after an episode and it’s fascinating to see how strongly people respond. But relationships work very differently online and offline. Online, everything moves fast and people form opinions quickly. Real emotions and relationships take time and honest conversations. You might feel like you know someone from their posts, but true understanding only comes from real interactions.
That contrast is exactly what the show explores through Shivaay and Aadhya, two people with very different relationships with the digital world who slowly learn to understand each other. In many ways, our generation shares everything online but still finds it difficult to be truly open offline.
- The show is also part of a larger initiative with the Ministry of Home Affairs to create awareness about cybercrime. How important do you think that aspect is?
- The collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) adds an important dimension to the show because cyber fraud is something many people are becoming more aware of today. Most of us use the internet for everyday things like payments, shopping or sharing information, so it’s very easy to overlook small warning signs. Through this initiative, the show also reminds viewers that if they ever face cyber fraud, they can report it immediately by calling the 1930 helpline or by visiting cybercrime.gov.in. I think it’s a meaningful initiative because entertainment has the power to reach millions of people. Through this show, I want people to feel inspired to rise above misfortunes and rebuild their lives.
- The story is set in Agra, and you spent time shooting there. How was that experience?
- Since the story belongs to Agra, spending time there really helped me settle into Shivaay’s world. The city has a very different rhythm compared to the fast-paced digital culture we see in bigger cities. There’s a grounded quality to it, people are more present in their everyday interactions, and life feels a little less rushed. I found myself stepping out during breaks, walking through the local markets or just observing people around me. Those small observations help you absorb the environment your character belongs to. For a character like Shivaay, who values simplicity and real human connections, being in a city that still feels rooted actually helped me internalise his mindset much more naturally.
- How has it been working with Rachi Sharma and Sudhanshu Pandey?
- It’s been a really enjoyable experience working with both of them because they bring very different energies to the show. Rachi has a very natural spontaneity that suits Aadhya’s character perfectly and understands that world of visibility and expression very instinctively, which makes the contrast with Shivaay quite interesting to play on screen. With Sudhanshu sir there’s a certain calm authority he brings to Baldev that immediately raises the emotional stakes of a scene. He’s someone who has been around for so long and carries so much experience, so even off-camera you end up learning a lot just by observing how he approaches a scene. As actors, when you have people who are very clear about their characters and fully present in the moment, the interactions start feeling very organic, and for me, the nicest part has been that nothing between the characters feels manufactured, the equations evolve very naturally as the story progresses.
- What can viewers look forward to as the story unfolds?
- As the story unfolds, viewers will see that Shivaay and Aadhya’s relationship is anything but simple. There is a love story, a tug of war between the offline and online worlds, complicated family dynamics and suspense around scams. I’m very excited for the audiences to experience this rollercoaster ride that has something for everyone.
Watch ‘Do Duniya Ek Dil’ airing every Monday – Friday, 9:00 pm only on COLORS and JioHotstar.
