‘Kaalidhar Laapata’ actor Daivik Baghela wins ITA award 2025:13-year-old from Bhopal credits Abhishek Bachchan for success, to be seen in ‘TVF’ film; says ‘Ronaldo is my role model’

Daivik Baghela, a 13-year-old actor from Bhopal has been awarded the Indian Television Academy (ITA) Award 2025 for Best Popular Actor (OTT) for his excellent performance in the film “Kaalidhar Laapata”, starring Abhishek Bachchan. The award ceremony was held in Mumbai on December 17th. Daivik was also nominated for the Best Supporting Actor category for the same film. In conversation with Bhaskar English, Daivik Baghela shared about his award, acting journey, working with Abhishek Bachchan, and his future projects. Let’s know some excerpts from the interview- Daivik played the role of Abhishek Bachchan’s friend in this film. He was selected for this role after auditioning with approximately 700 other children across India. Out of which, 70 were shortlisted, and then Daivik was selected for the role. Daivik’s has performed in around 20 plays as a child artist. Theater helped him refine his acting skills. First theater performance at age 6 Daivik Baghela’s journey into acting has short beginnings in a government scheme flat in TT Nagar, where he lives with his father Sharad, a private sector employee, his mother Archana, government school teacher and his seven-year-old sister, Radhya. His father’s passion for theater inadvertently paved the way for Daivik’s acting career. Sharad, who pursued theater as a hobby, would regularly take his family to watch plays, unknowingly planting the seeds of performance art in young Daivik’s mind at the age of 6. Whom would you credit for achieving this award? “When I received the ITA Award, I couldn’t believe it. I’m incredibly happy and grateful to receive this award. It means so much to me, especially at such a young age. I worked really hard for this, and I want to thank my family, friends, our director Madhumita Ma’am, producers Nikhil Advani, Monisha Advani, Madhu Bhojwani, and of course, Abhishek Bachchan for their support and guidance.” What was the most challenging part of filming “Kaalidhar Laapata”? “The most challenging part was a night shoot near Bhopal. I was dressed as Hanuman, and Abhishek Bachchan was playing Kumbhakarna. It was around 2:30 AM, and the temperature was very low. My costume required minimal clothing, and I had to walk barefoot, which was quite difficult in those conditions.” What’s the most important thing you learned from Abhishek Bachchan? “He taught me how to connect with the words I’m saying and bring them to life. It’s made a huge difference in my acting. He taught me the importance of truly understanding the meaning behind the dialogues before delivering them. That’s a crucial skill for any actor. During the film shoot, Abhishek Bachchan Sir taught me a lot about things related to acting. We did script reading together in Abhishek sir’s office, then Abhishek sir explained how script reading is done and what its intricacies are.” Abhishek sir was so caring towards me One scene required us to bathe in a pond during winter, and the water was freezing! Abhishek sir was incredibly caring. He made sure I got out of the water as quickly as possible after the director said “cut.” He immediately wrapped me in a towel and started drying me off himself. He even used a hairdryer to dry my hair completely. He was so attentive and made sure I was comfortable.
Film’s shooting was held in Bhopal, Bhojpur and other areas of MP Daivik shared that he never felt far from home during the shooting in Bhopal and the surrounding areas. I worked with Abhishek sir for around two months. The shooting took place in various locations in Madhya Pradesh, including Bhojpur Mandir, Sukhi Sewaniya, Salamatpur, and Aura, as well as in Palghar and Film City in Mumbai. ‘I wanted to meet Amitabh Bachchan to seek his blessings’ “I almost missed meeting Amitabh Bachchan Sir, as I visited Abhishek Sir’s office Janak located behind Jalsa (Amitabh Bachchan’s house) for script reading. I told Abhishek Sir that I want to meet Amitabh Bachchan, sir, and he said he just left five minutes ago for KBC shooting. After this, I saw Amitabh sir from a distance, but didn’t get a chance to meet him. But when I will meet him future, I would seek his blessings for sure.”
Who is your role model and what have you learned from him? “Cristiano Ronaldo is my role model. His relentless hard work is something I truly admire and try to adopt in my own life, both as an actor and as a football player. As a football player myself, I understand the dedication it takes to reach that level.” He added, “While, in terms of acting, I am a big fan of Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.” Also Nominated for Filmfare OTT Award Daivik’s father, Sharad Baghela, also had a conversation with Bhaskar English, where he shared that along with this award, Daivik was also nominated for the Best Supporting Actor category at the Filmfare OTT Awards 2025 on December 15th. Although that award went to the famous actor Deepak Dobriyal, it is a matter of pride to make a place for oneself among such well-known names. He shared “Daivik is going to be seen in two films, one of which is being made under “TVF” productions. After this, he will focus on studying and preparing for the 10th board exams.”