By Ahana Bhattacharya Mumbai, March 20 : Ankit Gupta plays the male lead in the new soap "Udaariyaan". The actor revealed that the set of the show feels like a paid picnic trip! "The experience has been amazing. Firstly, I'm playing the lead and on top of that it was lovely shooting in the extreme cold of Punjab and amidst its natural beauty. I've developed such a nice bonding with my co-stars that it doesn't feel I'm here on work, it feels as if we are all on a paid picnic trip!" he told IANS. "This is the first time I'm playing a solo lead. So the excitement is on another level. I'm waiting to see the audiences' reaction," he added. "Udaariyaan" talks about the issue of people from Punjab migrating to Canada. Would he be keen on doing something like that in real life? The actor replied: "I personally feel, people go to another country in search of a better life. But several times they don't get the work they desire. Rather, many are forced to work in restaurants and drive taxis to earn money in spite of having a good degree in education. I would like to live and work in India and do something to make my country shine on the international platform. Migration is not for me." Ankit will be seen in the avatar of a national level boxing champion in the show. The name of his character is Fateh. Throwing light on his preparation for a boxer's role, the actor shared: "I have taken boxing lessons for the character. Boxing appears easy when you watch it on the screen but it is actually very difficult. It is a very energy-consuming sport. I realised that if I have to play a boxer, only boxing training won't help. I have to work on my stamina and agility as well. So I started doing calisthenics and body weight workouts." The show is backed by popular telly-couple Ravi Dubey and Sargun Mehta. "Udaariyaan" started airing on Colors TV on March 15. The daily soap also stars Priyanka Chahar Choudhary and Isha Malviya. /IANS