ABHIMANYU SINGH

There is no such thing as playing someone else's character. Every actor takes a character and makes it his/her own while enacting it on screen.

Acting gives you freedom to express your thoughts.

I'd have gone berserk if I hadn't met Sargam Singh, an actress who soon became my wife. Within a year of our marriage our daughter Ameli was born. Sargam gave up her career to look after me and our daughter.

After my debut in 2001 in 'Aks,' where I had a small part, I had to work really hard to get work in the industry. For almost three years, I had no work.

In India, people still want an image to connect to and, even if it's a false one, they will stick to it. We are ready and want to be fooled by someone or the other, be it a baba or a politician.

I decided to do theatre intensely. I joined Makarand Deshpande's group Ansh. He became my guru. That's where I met Anurag Kashyap and Kay Kay Menon. These were the people who supported and inspired me.

Gulaal' gave me a chance to channelise my restlessness into a character that had layers of complexity.

Sandalwood is a force to reckon with. People from all over are investing time and money here because the films have good reach and reap good rewards as well.

As a boy from Patna, I've always dreamt of a chance to showcase my talent.

Rohit Shetty liked my acting in the movie 'Theeran,' which released in 2017. He believed that I would justify the role of a baddie in 'Sooryavanshi.'

Not many people know that it was Manoj Bajpayee who recommended me for a role in 'Aks.'

More than anything else it pleases me to know I've made people back home in Bihar proud of me.

I believe films are the mirror of society we live in.

Eventually, after the hero and heroine, it is the antagonist who comes with the most anticipation in any film.

I was pleasantly surprised that south directors started creating roles for me after watching 'Rakta Charitra.'

It is a big deal to play the antagonist in a Rohit Shetty film.

I know Sanskrit, which has similarities with Tamil, so it helps me understand the language.

I used my television phase to save myself as an actor for the bigger screen.

As for Bollywood, actors are no longer typecast there and I'm happy to be in that phase where the industry is evolving for the better.

Acting in different languages doesn't stop you from growing; on the contrary, for an artiste, it helps a lot.

A run-of-the-mill bad guy role does not satisfy me creatively.

The police or any higher authority should never try and criminalise people for their sexuality. It is something that is to great extent given by God.

I think once you get noticed as an actor you get roles irrespective of the characters you portray.

Karthi is such a wonderful human being. He is always focused towards improvisations and keeps working on it.

I was introduced to the world of films by Manoj Bajpayee and trained under theatre actor Makrand Deshpande.