Anmol Thakeria Dhillon: I bagged my first film all on my own, it wasn’t through any reference from my mom Poonam Dhillon

Actor Anmol Thakeria Dhillon talks about his recent Bollywood debut with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Tuesdays & Fridays.

His debut film, Tuesdays & Fridays, released recently in theatres amid the Covid pandemic, to a lukewarm response. However, Anmol Thakeria Dhillon, yesteryear actor Poonam Dhillon’s son, is just glad that he was able to step into films without utilizing any connections, that too with a Sanjay Leela Bhansali production.

Actor Anmol Thakeria Dhillon is the son of actor Poonam Dhillon.

“The response has been sweet. Whoever has seen the film, it’s been more or less positive. It came at an unusual time also. Right now, not many people are going to cinemas. For me, personally I am excited and grateful that the film came out,” he says.

He reveals that he did want to become an actor for a long time, but his mother insisted that he finish his studies first. Then started his rounds of auditions. “At that time, Bhansali sir was meeting a lot of guys and girls, and I was also sent for a meeting. I then sent him a few audition tapes of me acting and dancing, and then the film happened. There wasn’t any reference through my parents. Also, this film was directed by a newcomer, Taranveer Singh, he was a non-film person. My co-star, Jhataleka Malhotra is also a non-film kid. Among us, only I happened to be one, we all got an equal opportunity. Every star kid’s journey is different, some have it easier, some have to go through more process,” says Dhillon.

His parents and sister have watched the film, and he says they all got emotional seeing him on screen. “It took them 20 minutes to believe that their boy is on screen. Initially they watched it for me, then they watched it as a film, and enjoyed it. They were pretty relieved also in a way, that ladka kaam theek thaak kar sakta hai, so they were not worried!,” he laughs.

Having been an insider all his life, how would he describe Bollywood? “It’s not a room which you enter. I guess when you are younger, you are away from it. You grow up and meet people, it’s nice. So far, people have been positive. There are obviously tough parts to it as well, it’s not an easy place to make a mark in,” says Dhillon.