Playing a sportsperson is challenging: Aakanksha Singh

Aakanksha Singh, who picked up the nuances of hockey for her role in the upcoming film Clap, says playing sportspersons’ roles is very challenging as it needs physical and mental toughness.

She reveals that training with professional hockey players to get her part right has been an eye-opener. “I realised what it takes to be a sportsperson,” says the Malli Raava star, who is a physiotherapist by training.

Aakanksha says the sports element in Clap, directed by Prithvi Aditya, will be depicted with authenticity. “It’ll not be just another run-of-the-mill sports drama for sure. There’s a lot more to the sport than what meets the eye,” she shares.

She says she always looks forward to playing characters that break gender stereotypes, but admits that breaking stereotypes in general is difficult.

“I remember that after I debuted in TV, I started getting similar roles. It took me a while to shed that image, and it was then I realised how difficult it would be to break the mould. On hindsight, I feel very blessed to be getting very interesting and challenging roles in films,” the actress says.

“I want to be spoken about for my acting, and only such challenging roles make you stand out,” she says. Aakanksha has done some diverse roles. She played a girl-next-door in Malli Raava, and a medico in the Nagarjuna-starrer Devadas, for instance.