He is looking good. He is working hard. What’s more, he is delivering the goods. It would not be far from the truth to declare that Prateik Babbar is in the best phase of his acting career. His journey in showbiz, which started in 2008 with a dream debut in Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na, went through a rocky phase when he was dealing with personal issues, but the son of late Smita Patil and Raj Babbar bounced back with movies such as Baaghi 2, Chhichhore and Darbar.
With shows such as Skyfire and Four More Shots Please! he has ventured into the digital space as well. When we tell him he has never looked hotter than he did in Four More Shots Please!, he laughs heartily, telling us there is more in store from him in the third season of the show. As of now, he is looking forward to the release of his next web series, Virkar vs The Anti Social Network, where he plays a cop. There are some other big projects as well, including Sanjay Gupta’s Mumbai Saga and Bachchan Pandey with Akshay Kumar in the lead. He is not in Ayan Mukherji’s Brahmastra, as has been widely reported. “This rumour has been going on for such a long time, I was in two minds to call up Ayan and tell him ‘bro, you might as well put me in the film now!’” he laughs.
We got Prateik to take a break from his work schedule to tell us more about the projects in his kitty.
Tell us a bit about your character in the show Virkar vs The Anti Social Network.
It’s based on a trilogy written by author Piyush Jha. This is the first part of the series and I play a cop with an intense backstory. He is a sharp, good-looking, no-nonsense guy who is ready to get his hands dirty when he needs to. The reason I grabbed on to this character was because of his backstory and the way it has been written. Also, I have never played a cop before and that has been on my bucket 
list. I had to get into a particular body frame for this character, so I put on some muscles to look fit and strong. There is also a love story and great friendships in the show. Among the other cast members, there is Ashish Vidyarthi who I have immense respect and admiration for. The late Asif Basra is also there, so it’s a special show for me.
Playing the lead character means a lot of responsibility. Does that excite you?
Absolutely. It’s a good time for me because I’m back as a lead. There are also a few other projects where I am playing the lead. The entire process has only been a lot of hard work and love for what I do and the immense urge to love all those people who admire me. It will be a great catharsis if I’m back in the lead and in action the way I was a few years ago.
With shows such as Skyfire, Four More Shots Please! and now Virkar, do you think the OTT space has given you the chance to explore your versatile side?
Oh yes, it has totally. That’s something that I anyway want to do as an actor. I want to try and play as many interesting characters as I can and portray them as life-like as possible. I feel very blessed for the OTT space and for the opportunities it is giving me.
You started your career with a bang but there were many ups and downs after that. Did you ever feel insecure?
Sure, there are always insecurities as an actor. It goes with the territory. All I can say is, everyone has their own journey and this is mine. There was a lot of support. My family was disappointed with me but they were always with me. Hopefully, 2021 is a much better place in the world for all of us.
You were missing in action for some time but since 2018, you have been consistently doing good work in movies and in the digital space. Looks like you’re finding joy in work once more?
Absolutely, I absolutely love acting. I devour it! It’s my food, my water, my air and my blood. I’m lucky I have been able to keep doing interesting stuff. If I can somehow make sure I find stuff that excites me, and would excite my admirers, then it’s a win-win. I just have to keep my head down and keep working hard.
Is there a genre you would like to try or a role you would like to play?
I want to explore the gangster space more because it’s a different kind of adrenaline. I would love to play a soldier who saves the nation, the way it was in Border. I used to be obsessed with that movie and would watch it four times a day! Something in the martial arts space would excite me. So yeah, all the cool, guy stuff excites me. (smiles)
What are the projects you are a part of?
I am in a film called Mumbai Saga by director Sanjay Gupta and Mahesh Manjarekar’s The Power where I play the antagonist. I’m also shooting for Bachchan Pandey with Akshay Kumar. I recently finished director Sachin Kundalkar’s film for Netflix. That’s a really precious project for me. Then of course, there will be the third season of Four More Shots Please! and the second season of Virkar. It is a very exciting and promising year for me with a lot of work.
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