Jaipur boy to play lead in 'Buddha'

Jaipur-based Himanshu Soni, a newcomer, will be seen portraying Buddha on mythological show "Buddha".

Himanshu went through a vigorous training and extensive creative sessions to understand every nuance of his character and demeanor of Prince Siddharth.

"I am 100 percent sure that we have made the right decision by taking Himanshu on board. He has put his soul in it and I must congratulate him for that," B.K. Modi, chairman, Spice Studios, said at a press conference here.

From meditation to going through literature and Buddha's preaching, martial arts training and horse riding, the 24-year-old did everything to make his character look perfect.

Since it was his first public appearance, Himanshu was a bit nervous. He said that he is hoping to win the audience' heart through his character.

"I just want the audience to give me blessings and love. I just hope that I am able to win the audience' heart," he said.

The team of "Buddha" will visit Sarnath, near Varanasi, Friday, as Buddha gave his first sermon there and the Buddhist sangha (community) also came into existence there.

"We are going to Sarnath tomorrow (Friday) as Himanshu wanted to seek blessings from there. Sarnath has a connection as Buddha first taught about dharma there," Modi said.

Prince Siddharth's love interest Yashodhara will be played by 2010 Miss India finalist, Kajal Jain.

"Buddha" airs on Zee TV.