We are no longer just a student and a teacher who are working in the same field. Today, we are family,” say Abhishek and Parikshit Tamaliya , who have shared a “guru-shishya bond since 2014”. On Teacher’s Day, the director-actor duo gets nostalgic and talks about their bond since the days Abhishek mentored Parikshit.

I saw the spark in Parikshit on the first day of my workshop: Abhishek

Abhishek fondly remembers his Drama batch of 2014 at SMPIC (now GLS University). He says, “Every year, the new batch came around April, and the youth festival happened around June-July. I used to host the theatre workshop . On the very first day, I could see the spark in Parikshit. I told my wife (actress Tejal Panchasara),‘Yeh ladka bahut aage jayega.’ Once, he was injured during a play but continued working on the set. Such dedication and sincerity are rare to find.”


Abhishek sir taught me how to be a good human: Parikshit

Recalling his first meeting with Abhishek, Parikshit shares, “It was our first exposure to the real world after school, and Abhishek sir mentored me not just in dramatics, but in life too. He was an established artiste when we met, but he made sure all students around him felt at home. For me, he has always been a father figure, but he takes care of me like a mother. All of us are aware of his professional achievements, but what I adore the most about him is that while he taught me ways to be a good actor, he taught me to be a good human first.”


‘We are just a call away for each other’

Today, both of them are actively working in the industry. What kind of equation do they share? Parikshit says, “Whenever I feel stuck regarding any career decision, or even personal life, I call up Abhishek sir. He has told me, ‘Jab bhi koi film ke baare mein confusion ho, talk to me once.’ I always seek his advice. While we may not talk every day, I know he is there when I need him.”

Abhishek adds, “I watch all his films, and then we talk about them. When I watched Auntypreneur, I called him immediately to say that I loved him in the film and felt proud. We are just a call away for each other.”

‘Today, we share a friendly bond’
Abhishek says, “Today, the teacher-student relationship has changed, and sadly, not for good. The respect and love that students had earlier for their gurus has changed drastically. For all my students, I have tried to share all the good things in my life, so that meri jitni achhi aadatein ya baatein ho, it helps them somewhere. Parikshit, as a shishya, has always been accepting.”

Parikshit agrees, “Today, we share a friendly bond, but I will never call him a friend. He will always be my guru. Ek muscle memory ban gayi hai; whenever I see him, I will stand up from my chair out of respect. Our guru-shishya relationship will always remain intact.”


I hope I can soon direct Parikshit in films, and we can reminisce about our theatre days. We have had lots of fun interactions and chats about this, and I can’t wait to do a project with him (smiles)
-Abhishek

I often wonder when I will get to work with him, but aisa nahi hai ki if we work together, toh hi he will be my ‘sir.’ Today, in every project of mine, there is a reflection of something that Abhishek sir has taught me- be it discipline, sincerity or even my approach towards everything
-Parikshit