Ankur Rathee’s Instagram profile bio reads: ‘Affirm it enough and the universe will manifest it’. The actor, singer, and dancer believes that he wouldn’t be where he is today if he hadn’t applied this spiritual principle in his life. “I silently dreamt of becoming an actor for years but never had the courage to say it out loud. We often keep things hidden from the world because of the fear of failure or being ridiculed. When I finally believed in myself enough to proudly announce my intentions, the universe started lining up opportunities that helped my dream come true,” says the dashing actor who has been appreciated for his performance in films such as The Tashkent Files and Thappad as well as in shows such as Four More Shots Please, Made in Heaven and more recently, SonyLIV’s Undekhi. The actor, who recently got engaged to long-time girlfriend Anuja Joshi, tells TMM that he is first and foremost, an artist, who only wants to better his performance with each passing day. Excerpts from a conversation…
You are an actor, singer, and dancer. How did the love affair with the performing arts begin for you?
I always thought it started when I was eight, recalling how I used to break it down to Prabhu Deva’s ‘Mukkabala’, but recently I saw an old VHS home video of me dancing like a lunatic at a rave to Pankaj Udhas’ ghazals. This impromptu interpretative dance was at age six, and now I’m wondering whether I was just born this way. I was always mesmerized by what I saw on screen and would re-enact fight scenes and dance numbers. Later in life, the musical theater became my first formal introduction to acting as a discipline.
Ankur Rathee, From Four More Shots Please to Thappad and now Undekhi, how has the acting journey been for you? What are some of the things you have learned on the way?
I have learned that my metric for success as an actor can’t be how well my film does at the box office, how many positive comments I receive on Instagram, or whether a director thinks my audition is strong enough to grant me the role. All of these things are important for my career, but none of them are entirely in my hands. The only thing I can control is my ability as a performer. We operate in a collaborative medium where hundreds of people contribute to a success or a failure. All I can do is make sure I am doing my job better and better. So, I measure my success with one simple question: “Am I a better actor today than I was 6 months ago?” If I can honestly answer “yes” then I can sleep at night regardless of how my work is being received. If I answer “no” then that means I’ve been focusing on the wrong things. I am first and foremost an artist.
Your latest show Undekhi on SonyLIV has got some wonderful reviews, calling it gripping and compelling. What drew you to the show and the character?
The violence, inhumanity, and injustice that this show explores are such a new territory for me. Given that most of my work so far was set in an urban context, this was a breath of fresh air: a series rooted in our heartland. My character, Daman’, particularly, was enticing to play because, through his lens, one really gets to understand the dilemma many of us face when seeing an injustice first hand. Do we intervene or do we leave it ‘undekhi’? What are the costs of the former and the toll of the latter? These are very exciting questions for me to explore as an actor.
Ankur Rathee, Right from your first show and movie, you have worked with some of the most talented people in the industry, from Naseeruddin Shah to Taapsee Pannu among others. How would you describe your experience working with such amazing actors right from the beginning of your career?
I try not to put my co-actors on a pedestal. This helps eliminate the distance that is created around a veteran or celebrity actor and, in turn, helps facilitate collaboration with them. When you start seeing yourself as an equal contributor, it allows you to speak your mind and even disagree with them. The hierarchical nature of our industry, unfortunately, has most people walking around on eggshells. It shouldn’t matter how famous your scene partner is if you’re both genuinely there to serve the film and director.
Therefore, my first takeaway was to treat them like I treat any other co-actor: with respect and openness. I become highly observant around strong actors, eager to learn from their choices on and off-screen. I sometimes engage them in discussions about their acting journey and experiences, no matter how vast or limited they may be. One such casual conversation led to Naseer sir explaining how an actor must adapt his performance to the genre he’s operating in and not be stuck in one particular acting approach. That’s stayed with me.
Ankur Rathee, What’s in the pipeline?
I recently completed shooting with Jim Sarbh, Pulkit Samrat, and Kriti Kharbanda for Bejoy Nambiar’s upcoming film, ‘Taish’. I played the lead of a Marathi film, ‘Nirmal Enroute’, and had the privilege of doing a cameo as Bhagat Singh in Kavi Raz’s next, both scheduled to release this year. I also joined another Amazon Prime series franchise and am currently shooting with Nagesh Kukunoor on something. A lot of fun things in the works!
Ankur Rathee, Are you someone who is brand conscious or are you casual about your fashion and lifestyle choices?
If it looks good and feels good, I buy it. Thank goodness for stylists.
What do you splurge on? Perfumes, shoes, watches or something else?
Interior décor. I like my home to feel like a cozy sanctuary equipped with all the comforts I can afford. My shopping budget often gets reallocated for home improvements and redesigning.
The post Ankur Rathee: An artist’s journey appeared first on TMM.