Turkish drama Arafta : Bound by Fate has built a global following, with India emerging as one of its biggest audiences. Its lead stars Emin Günenç and İlsu Demirci have also become familiar faces among Indian viewers. The actors recently spoke to Hindustan Times in their first joint interview in India, discussing the show’s growing popularity in India, the love they have received from fans, their plans to visit the country and their familiarity with Indian cinema. And when Bollywood came up, both actors had the same name on their minds: Aamir Khan.
Its growing reach has also introduced its lead stars, Emin and İlsu, to fans far beyond Turkey. Arafta has found a strong audience globally but also in India, with viewers following the Turkish drama on YouTube and streaming platform Prime Video’s MX Player. The response from India has been especially meaningful for the actors. Emin and İlsu admitted that they are not very familiar with the wider Indian entertainment industry, but there was one Bollywood star they both knew well. When asked about Indian cinema, both immediately mentioned Aamir Khan, recalling his films from when they were younger. Aamir’s movies have long travelled beyond India, earning audiences in countries including China, South Korea and Turkey.
We receive so many incredible messages from Indian fans—I even heard that I made it onto the main television news there! If we ever receive an invitation, we would absolutely love to visit India and meet everyone. As for Indian cinema, the one actor I know and whose films I’ve watched is Aamir Khan. The family drama around Ateş and Mercan is further expanded by the show’s ensemble cast. He played a coach with a more humorous and arrogant streak, marking a different side of the actor. This was the remake of Spanish movie Campeones.
The Season 2 cast includes Aleyna Çalışkan as Eylül Aslan and Serdar Yıldırım as Hazar Bozbey, along with returning actors Ezgi Dalgıç as Aslı Taner, Pervin Mert as Müzeyyen Taner and Işıl Mete as Nermin Yıldırım. Aamir was last seen on the big screen in Sitaare Zameen Par, a sports drama billed as a spiritual successor to his 2007 film Taare Zameen Par.
Emin said, “Honestly, Ilsu and I are both very curious about India.
