New baddie on the block

He came into limelight with the 2013 television series Mahabharat in which he played King Dritarashtra and changed the perception of the king as an old, blind man, to that of a strong, good-looking ruler who is a victim of circumstances. Thakur Anoop Singh, who essayed the role has come a long way since. “I was always interested in acting but didn’t think of it as a concrete career. I am a trained pilot but destiny brought me here. I started off without the knowledge of the craft but through the show, I got trained under some renowned names like Rajat Kapoor and Naseeruddin Shah, and was taught horse riding and mixed martial arts which added to my profile. I’d say Mahabharat gave me wings to fly,” he states.

Recently, his first film Singam 3 released and he has received rave reviews for his act. “I really should thank the team, especially a seasoned actor like Suriya who was very patient with me as I tried to say my dialogues in a new language. In fact, I have dubbed for myself in the film,” he says proudly. But that’s not it and Anoop has a lot more in the offing. He will be seen in a series of films lined up in four languages: Winner and Rogue (which also releases in Kannada) in Telugu, Commando in Hindi, and two Marathi films. “The year 2016 was a very busy one for me as I juggled shooting all the films. I began as a raw learner and have gained so much and met such amazing people from across industries,” he shares.

Everyone has been talking about Anoop’s dedication towards his films and how he decided to dub for himself. “I find it extremely tough to take prompting as it doesn’t allow me to concentrate on emoting in a sequence. I start panicking! I’d rather spend a few hours in understanding and learning my dialogues and then say them on screen,” he reasons, adding, “In all my films, I have been given strong roles where I am pitted against the lead actor and I want it to look natural and easy and I think that’s possible only when you know what you are saying. Yes, I have a great physique, but I’d rather be talked about for my acting skills and versatility,” he adds.

With so much happening over the last one year, the self-proclaimed workaholic is not keen to rest. “I feel restless when I don’t have work and my mind keeps thinking about what I should do and how I can do better,” he signs off.