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Actor Arjun Verma is currently winning hearts and hate in equal measure as Tejpratap Singh in the TV show Ganga Mai Ki Betiyan . On screen, he is Durgavati's layered nephew played by Indira Krishna , and the man the director calls "the meanest in the show." Off screen, Verma says he couldn't be more different.

In a candid chat, the actor drew a sharp line between himself and the grey-shaded character he plays every day.

"Arjun Verma. He's the kind of guy who wouldn't dream of hurting anyone. No backbiting, no drama, no shortcuts," he said.

"He notices people. He remembers. If your life is falling apart at 2am, Arjun is already on his way with tea, solutions, and that stubborn belief that things can get better. He's caring to the bone, not because it looks good, but because that's who he is."

For Verma, that care also extends to himself. He describes his own life as one built on discipline, not vanity.

"He's an exercise-aholic. Not for vanity. For discipline. For the feeling of earning every bit of himself. Fitness, hard work, a realistic approach to life — that's his prayer. He doesn't chase illusions. He builds," he said.

"Big ambitions, yes, but rooted ones. He wants to do big things in life because he believes a good man should leave the room better than he found it. He knows how to value people, how to hold relationships with both hands and not let go."

Then comes Tej Pratap. And according to Verma, the contrast couldn't be starker.

"And then there's Tej Pratap Singh. Totally opposite. Where Arjun extends a hand, Tej pulls away. Where Arjun listens, Tej cuts in. The director wants Tej to be mean. Meanest in the show. No compromise, no softness," he said.

Playing someone so far removed from his own nature isn't easy, but Verma says he has found a quiet way to bridge the gap.

"I love being Arjun. I love playing Tej. And in the quiet between takes, I try to sneak a little of Arjun into Tej — a pause, a flicker, a choice that costs him something. The director says no. 'Tej means Tej'," he shared with a laugh.

The actor, however, isn't complaining. For him, the job is to hold both versions of himself at once.

"So I carry Arjun in me. Sweet, steady, and unwilling to harm. And I let Tej live on screen, so people can see exactly what the world looks like when you choose not to be him."

Ganga Mai Ki Betiyan stars Amandeep Sidhu , Sheezan Khan, Indira Krishnan, Shubhangi Latkar in lead roles.