'Meri Aashiqui Tumse Hi' star Shakti Arora wasn't treated well as a supporting actor?

Television star Shakti Arora became a household name with his portrayal of Ranveer Vaghela in "Meri Aashiqui Tumse Hi." But his life wasn't as peachy till the day he bagged the lead role in the hit TV show, which went off-air last week.

Talking to Hindustan Times (Feb. 26, Mumbai), Shakti said he received "special treatment" only after his character from "MATSH" became popular. "I started receiving special treatment only after my character on the show became popular. From the spot boy to the director, everybody respects you," he added.

The actor said the industry is a tough place for supporting actors to be in, as unit members are strict with them, adding that they are made to work overtime. "You don't receive good treatment when you are doing a supporting role or a cameo. They feel you are any other character, so you can come and go. The focus is always on the lead," the daily quoted him as saying.

Shakti is set to host his next show "Man Mein Hai Visshwas" and is thrilled to be working with the team. A few days ago, he told Absolute India the makers chose him because he had the ability to connect with the youth.

Although he has moved on from the glories of his past, he did well up at the thought of having to let go of the project he worked so hard on. "MATSH" went off air Feb. 19, but the actor wasn't prepared to watch it slip away this soon.

"In October, we were number one, and in November, we started dipping. People probably couldn't connect to the story because of the double-role track," he told HT.