Hungry like the wolf
What has made jamtara star Anshuman Pushkar OTT’s hot new find of the season?
It’s very easy to lose oneself in the crowd of actors jostling for prominence in the OTT space today. But, Anshuman Pushkar has repeatedly distinguished himself in web series such as Grahan, Jamtara and Mission Kathmandu. His passionate intensity shines through despite being pitted against talents like Pawan Malhotra and in the face of having to overcome his innate inhibitions when asked to use foul mouth language as required from his character.
I ask Anshuman how he would introduce himself to a 10-year-old, and he nods in approval. “That’s a novel way of asking me to introduce myself. Well, I am an actor, hailing from a small village near Patna, Bihar. My late father was into farming. Our entire family is zealous about films; we used to wake up at seven in the morning to watch Rangoli, a filmsong-based show on our black-andwhite TV set. I act in web shows now and feel most fulfilled when I get to portray a full-fledged character and euphoric when the audience responds to my work with full understanding and appreciation.”
On the hunt
Anshuman, 32, has Leo as his sun sign and he has a feral beast-on-thehunt appeal in his looks as well as his performances, a hunger to locate the character’s truth, and his own as an actor, whether it is as a fishy phisher in Jamtara or a conflicted lover who falls victim to the anti-Sikh riots (Grahan).
Curious to know where he draws his intensity from, I learn more about his background. In 2010, Anshuman came to Mumbai, “the city of dreams”, presumably to study for his MBA degree but nurtured other aspirations.
“Like most people, I wanted to be either a cricketer or a film star,” he says. I dispute the generalisation but, unperturbed, he continues, “Eighty per cent of the population of India is inclined towards the film industry. The change in our lifestyle, clothing, and our traditions are all because of films. The masses are attracted to this industry.”
To underline his point, he adds, “My father was a great fan of Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand, my elder brother looked up to Shah Rukh Khan, and my sister was obsessive about Amitabh Bachchan and Anil Kapoor. I have seen their passion for the stars.”
Making an astute observation about his own calling in life, he reveals, “What you do in life depends on whether you enjoy being the centre of attention or not. I enjoy being the centre of attention. When I played cricket in Patna, I made sure I entertained the spectators, both with the sport as well as my antics.”
Keeping it real
Once in Mumbai, he gravitated towards acting and did a stint with Nadira Babbar’s theatre group. Though initially awed by the glamour of the profession, he now swears by realism in acting and avers, “There should be no difference between reality and acting.”
Success, he acknowledges, is an elusive elf. Some of those whom he labels “cult actors” have not had it easy, he points out. “I have worked in Grahan with Pawan Malhotra sir, he has not got his full due. Manoj Bajpayee bhai too didn’t get his due until Gangs of Wasseypur. And Irrfan bhai’s status changed in the industry only after Paan Singh Tomar.”
Anshuman is confident he won’t change with fame. He states, “Actors are moving forward and don’t have much time. Sushant Singh Rajput was from our group. I saw him at a function, and he was talking to all with such respect. He remembered everybody and called them by their names.”
Long after our Zoom call is over, a line the actor had said buzzes in my head. When I had asked him his USP, he had proclaimed, “I have that passion, that junoon in me, I can break a wall with my head.”
“WHAT YOU DO IN LIFE DEPENDS ON WHETHER YOU ENJOY BEING THE CENTRE OF ATTENTION OR NOT. I ENJOY BEING THE CENTRE OF ATTENTION" –ANSHUMAN PUSHKAR