Karan Choudhary was born and brought up in Faridabad, graduated from Delhi University in business and marketing, and was a salesperson in a clothing store in Connaught Place, New Delhi before he moved to Mumbai to pursue a career in modelling and acting. His hard work and focussed vision opened doors for him and in 2013 he moved to New York City to study acting alongside pursuing an acting career. In conversation with him.   

''I guess never settling for less and a risk-taking attitude in life made me decide to change professions. I had no idea if I'd success a good actor but I knew I did not want to live an ordinary cookie cutter life. Modelling was something I was passionate about… I never had a second option because I personally don't believe in having second options to fall back on if the first does not work out. I'd rather fall on my face and give my 100 per cent in a chosen career than have the cushion of a second option. That said, I never really had an icon to look up to but I do admire a lot of actors for what they pursued and achieved in their career i.e. James Dean, Humphrey Bogart, Marlon Brando, Meryl Streep, Paul Newman,  Jack Nicholson, Kevin Spacey,  Amitabh Bachchan,  Aamir Khan and then some. 

Luckily, my risk and hard work paid off. I think there's a lot of good looking men out there who're successfully pursuing acting and modeling in India and overseas. But if I can't bring more then just looks and a good body to the table then I don't think I have a strong chance to stand out in the long run. I think GOOD is not enough in show business. You have to be GREAT. Vision, unbroken focus, mastered skill sets and love for the craft is my ideological vision towards becoming a successful actor. I've had the privilege to do some good work overseas. I starred in commercials for brands like Budweiser, Stella Artois, Absolut, Perrier Sparkling Water, NYU and more. Recently I did a national commercial in America for History Channel and a worldwide print campaign for Intercontinental Hotel Group. Apart from commercials I've acted in theatre, short films and I'm constantly going out for television and feature film auditions. 

What appeals to me the most about this profession is that there's no limit to learning and becoming more skilful; sometimes I think one life is not enough to master this profession!! And even after that you're only as good as your last performance. You gotta start from the beginning with each new project. Traveling, money and fame are the byproducts in this profession. I aim to get better at my craft of acting. And, being able to make a living in a profession where we have maximum unemployment around the world, makes me feel optimistic towards my career. 

I'm very passionate about learning unique skills like different languages and musical instruments. I love documentaries of successful people in different professions. And playing sports and cooking for loved ones excites me a lot. That said, I do work on myself constantly. Being mentally and physically fit has always been my top priorities. What goes into my diet, not just affects me physically but mentally. I stick to healthy diet and workout. My day starts at 5am seven days a week and finishes at 10pm. When I'm shooting or traveling I stick to healthy food and low carb food in the evenings. 

Through my own experience, I would like share some nuggets of wisdom. It's very important to learn the business of acting instead of just blindly pursuing it. Learn as much as you can about the business aspect of this profession then just  honing your talent. Having goals, being ambitious and hard working is not enough to make it as an actor. Every breath should be dedicated to this profession. Focus on learning meaningful skills, not just spending hours in gym or chasing people is parties for the sake of making connections.''

— JASMEEN DUGAL