I was just a year old when B.R. Chopra's Mahabharat was telecast: Thakur Anoop Singh

Mahabharat produced by Swastik Productions, the grand show on Star Plus has brought a great change in the way mythological shows are portrayed on television in India. With magnificent sets and perfect costumes, the one thing that stands out is the extra-ordinary performances of the actors in the show. Tellychakkar.com got into an exclusive conversation with Thakur Anoop Singh, the talented actor who is playing the blind king Dhritarashtra in the show. “I was a commercial pilot but the dream to see myself as an actor was always there. In 2011, when I got an offer to play Dhritarashtra, I started working for the look of my character. Since I was quite a lean person then, I worked on my body, grew my hair but sadly the show got postponed leaving us disappointed. But I promised myself to not cut my hair or change my appearance till Mahabharat gets started,” informs Anoop. “I then decided to work in only historical and mythological shows in which I could adapt to any character with the look I was carrying. I did Jai Bajrang Bali, Ramayan and Dwarkadesh-Bhagwan Shri Krishna when I got a call from Swastik Productions saying that they were re-testing looks and I should come down. Luckily for me, I was confirmed. This is how I started my journey as Dhrithrashtra,” avers Anoop. So how was the preparation of playing a blind king? “Well, I watched movies like Scent of a Woman (Al Pacino) and Sparsh (Naseeruddin Shah) to follow the mannerisms of these talented actors. I also observed blind kids to know about their movements. You won’t believe that I used to blindfold myself and walk around the house to understand the true feel of blindness. And luckily for me, I have glasses without which I can hardly see anything on the sets,” the dedicated actor informs. Anoop also researched well about the character and read in depth about all the epic sagas. “I started reading the epic tales to get a clear vision of my character and I must say that I seriously got hooked to them as they are so fascinating. Now I know the entire story and details of characters from King Bharat to Arjun’s great grandsons. I also encourage my co-stars to read about them to help them play their part better,” he maintains. For reference, the actor who saw the earlier Mahabharat by B.R. Chopra, also met the actors of the show to discuss about his role. “I met Gufi Paintal and Girija Shankar (who played Dhritarashtra in the show) and we talked about my role. Later both called me up to say that they liked my performance. And may I say that I was just a year old when B. R. Chopra’s show was on-air and I hardly had any idea about any characters. So I had to really work hard to do justice to this important character,” Anoop observes. Speaking proudly about his character, Anoop says, “We were clear of showing varied shades of his character. The man never got anything he wanted, be it a normal life, his deserving throne or a wife with the eyes of whom he could see the world. He was not just a man who could do anything for the love of his sons, but also had lot more which has never been told to the world. The extensive research has made that possible and I can’t convey in words the kind of appreciation that is coming my way for my work.” On the appreciation he has been getting, the man conveys, “I always believe that hard work pays off. The workshops, action trainings, speech and language classes, wearing those heavy costumes had to work on our support. I couldn’t have asked for more with a grand show on the #1 channel on TV with such an impressive character to play,” he hurriedly responds. So what next after Mahabharat? “Well, now I am really keen to move into movies. Though I have a few offers from down South, I am focusing only on Bollywood. I will go in for a complete makeover after the show and bring out a very different Anoop. I would like to do roles that are serious, especially action stuffs. I would love to do performance-oriented roles and try to do full justice to them,” he responds, Well Anoop, we definitely believe you and wish you great success in future.