He played an interesting cameo in Dev D. And, if the name Anjum Batra still doesn’t ring a bell, rewind to the actor who mouthed the dialogue in The Dirty Picture: “Arey! Jitne ki tu ticket khareed raha hai, utne me to ladki aa jayegi…”
The 27-year-old Abohar boy is now upbeat about his role in Anurag Kashyap’s production Love Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana where he plays the character of a servant named Dalidri.
“Since I was a part of Dev D, Anurag Kashyap already knew me. Unlike most other characters played by me, where I support a beard and moustache and portray negative shades, in Luv Shuv… I am seen as a clean-shaven, fun-loving guy who is very hospitable. He is treated as a family member and has a habit of inviting guests and serving them.”
Sharing various facets of his acting career, he says, “I passed out from the department of Indian theatre, Panjab University in 2008. I was rehearsing for a department play, when the casting director of Dev D, Gautam Krishan Chandani, noticed me. I was auditioned at Neelam Mansingh’s house and offered the role of Sunil in Dev D. Then I played the leading role of Anmol in TV serial Chadeya Chann Samundro Paar for Just Punjabi in 2009.”
Batra then shifted his base to Mumbai in 2010. “For a year I did not get any work in Mumbai. That was the time when my family supported me a lot. Finally, I got to play a negative lead for a story in Crime Patrol for Sony TV, which was followed by negative leads in another 10 stories. My negative roles were appreciated. I have recently completed shooting three episodes for Saavdhan India on Life Ok.”
{{/usCountry}}Batra then shifted his base to Mumbai in 2010. “For a year I did not get any work in Mumbai. That was the time when my family supported me a lot. Finally, I got to play a negative lead for a story in Crime Patrol for Sony TV, which was followed by negative leads in another 10 stories. My negative roles were appreciated. I have recently completed shooting three episodes for Saavdhan India on Life Ok.”
{{/usCountry}}The actor claims to be very ‘choosy’ when it comes to work. “I believe in quality. Besides working with some of the best directors in the film industry, I have also done advertisements with people such as Pardeep Sarkar, and a cameo in Force. I have a number of commercials. The going definitely gets easier if you have the right contacts but in this field, luck matters a lot. However, self-confidence is a trait that sees one through every up and down. There is no such thing as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ actor. One is either an actor or not.”