Actor Shaalien Malhotra, widely loved for his roles in Arjun, Ziddi Dil Maane Na, and Vanshaj, is entering a new creative chapter—this time behind the camera. Teaming up with close friend Suyyash Rai, he is now writing, directing, and producing an upcoming series featuring Karan Wahi and Surbhi Jyoti in the lead. The fresh on-screen pairing has already generated buzz, but for Shaalien, this venture is far more personal.
“It’s not a shift away from acting—acting is something I’ll never leave, not till the time I’m breathing,” he says, explaining how this transition happened almost organically.Shaalien’s creative evolution began with words, not scripts, but poems and shayari. “I started writing poems, shayaris, stories… I released a few on YouTube too,” he shares. He didn’t initially plan to become a writer; he simply wrote what he felt.
Then came a call from Suyyash asking if he had a story. “I told him yes, and he asked if we could direct it. Someone heard that story, they liked it, and suddenly I became a commercial writer.
”Direction, however, was a surprise even to him. “I never thought I’d be a director. But if it had to happen this year, it was meant to be.” Producing, on the other hand, was long in the making. He recalls knowing from the day he entered the industry that he’d eventually step into production.
“I started making ads… producing was always on my mind.”What ties these roles together is his instinct as an actor. “Everyone knows I never go to the vanity. I’m always on set asking questions—lighting, sound, lenses… everything. People call me the Energizer Bunny for a reason,” he laughs.With 15 years on set, Shaalien’s curiosity has been his biggest teacher. “I’ve always asked: Why this shot? Why this lens? What’s the reason for a trolley or panther movement?” he explains.
But when he finally stood behind the camera, he let emotion, not technique, be his guide. “I wasn’t thinking technically at all. I kept thinking about how I would act in the scene, how it should feel. That’s how I built my shots.”He credits the fantastic cast for enriching his vision. Working with actors who are also friends added comfort and spontaneity. And with Suyyash co-directing beside him, the process became collaborative and deeply reassuring.
“We’re in it together whatever the outcome, we’ve made it with all our heart.”Being the writer, director, and producer simultaneously came with intense pressure. “Sometimes I’d rewrite scenes at 2 pm, shift into director mode at 5, and then handle production issues by 11 am,” he recalls. Long days, tight budgets, and limited shoot time pushed the entire team to their limits. Yet, Shaalien calls it “the good kind of stress—the kind I actually wanted.”The most rewarding moment? Watching the final cut. “When I go into post and see what we’ve created, it touches a chord. It’s relatable, it feels like it came from the heart and went straight to the heart.”For him, the victory lies in knowing that every ounce of passion, hustle, and sleepless night has paid off. “Seeing your effort all come together that’s the biggest reward.”
I am biased for Vikas, says Suyyash Rai