'One of the most complicated characters played till now'
With teleserial 'Anupamaa' scoring high on TRPs week after week, it is natural for the lead actor to feel elated. Sudhanshu Pandey, who plays Vanraj Shah in the family drama, is happy and content with the adulation he is getting from his viewers. Humbled by the overwhelming response, he says it is a joint effort and the credit should go to all the people involved with it.
Ask him about playing Vanraj, which has many shades, Shudhanshu says, "I can confidently say this is probably one of the most complicated characters I have played till now. Vanraj is a little unpredictable. His reactions are something of suspense to the audience. At the core of his character is that he loves his family and would do anything for his family. But, he also loves Kaavya. There are too many complexities and layers of emotions. His unpredictability makes him even more interesting. For me, there is a very thin line to tread on; neither can I be completely negative or positive. He can't be cent percent mad, wild or a negative person."
The senior actor though accepts that he has learnt so playing the role. "It has given me the opportunity to keep exploring every new situation or the plot point that comes in the story," he adds.
About the show, which also deals with the subject of infidelity, Sudhanshu says, "It is something which under any moralistic definition is wrong. But it is also very human. Between two human beings who are married, it is completely a personal subject. It is bound to happen. People don't talk about it or turn a blind eye towards it. It is a fact that has existed all along."
But success did not come easy to him. Sudhanshu had to literally work his way up to be where he is today. He, along with three of his friends, formed India's first boy band, 'A Band of Boys'. He also dabbled in modelling before debuting on the silver screen with 'Khiladi 420'. In 2018, he also came out with his first single 'Teri Adaa'.
The actor, who has also worked in films down south, says films are not on his radar at the moment. "With 'Anupamaa' on, I'm not picking any other projects. It takes up all my time. It is a hugely successful show and being the lead, I can't be doing 10 things at the same time. I'm giving my 100% for the show. I have done a special appearance in 'Radhe', produced by Salman Khan, apart from two web-series, which released in 2020," said the actor, who thinks dedication towards work should come first.
About working on different mediums and in languages, the singer-turned-actor said, "I'm an actor everywhere irrespective of the language. It is like love has no language. When you express love, it is an emotion. When I'm acting, I'm acting out an emotion."
Sudhanshu's Twitter handle has retweets of RSS members working in Chamoli after the disaster struck. Appreciating what the RSS is doing in the affected areas he said, "Helping people in need is our duty. We should help others, who are not so privileged. There is so much to do. Unfortunately, very few do it. I completely believe in RSS and its ideology."
