Life comes full circle for this Delhi boy Anubhav Kanjilal

Actors Om Puri, Rajat Kapoor, or Naseeruddin Shah — Capital’s theatre circuit has gifted many talented actors to cinema, be it Bollywood or the regional film industries. So, when 24-yearold Delhi boy Anubhav Kanjilal decided to make the transition from stage to camera, he felt it was the most natural step to take. But what makes this theatre enthusiast different from the rest? While most film aspirants look towards the City of Dreams, Mumbai, to get closer to stardom, Anubhav decided to move to the City of Joy, Kolkata. “I have been a part of a Bengali theatre group, Green Room Theatre, since I was a teenager. So, I wanted to explore the Bengali film industry and knowing the language acted as an advantage,” says the actor who debuted with Abar Basanta Bilap, which has an ensemble cast of actors Moon Moon Sen and Kharaj Mukherjee, among others. Life seems to have come full circle for Anubhav — his Bengali film will soon be screened in his city, Delhi, at the upcoming three-day-long Bengali film festival. The actor, who has already signed six films, one of which is with filmmaker Arjun Dutta, whose short film, The 6th Element, made it to the Cannes short film corner last year, says shifting to a new city wasn’t easy. “I was sh*t nervous, but I had no choice. I had left my job, got out of my comfort zone, left my family and friends. So, I knew that I had to give my best shot or go back to Delhi,” says Anubhav. Keeping a balance between theatre and cinema, Anubhav expects to continue to perform on the Delhi stage, too. “Taking out time for both mediums is difficult. I might not be in a position to do new dramas, but if productions of plays that I have already been a part of are done again, both in Kolkata and Delhi, I will be part of it.”