E-Paper
Hanuman Ansh's star Shobhinaw Satyaa: People hardly know me, I want to remain that way and follow Hanumanji's directions
As Hanuman Ansh becomes a box-office phenomenon, breakout actor Shobhinaw Satyaa says fame won't change how he lives, or the roles he chooses.
Prefer HTon Google
With Hanuman Ansh emerging as one of the year’s surprise box-office successes, its 31-year-old lead Shobhinaw Satyaa has found sudden fame playing spiritual guru Neem Karoli Baba.
But the actor would rather remain an enigma: “People hardly know anything about me, and I want to remain like this and about my personal life details. I have a reserved nature! Now, I use Insta somewhat, but before the film’s teaser release I had hardly 2-3 posts and about 200 followers (now 225K). I prefer staying away from my mobile for hours.”
Satyaa says he takes inspiration from late actor Amrish Puri. “I am a big fan of Amrish sir for how he kept his real life and voice hidden from public glare and kept it for the screen. I will keep following the path that Hanumanji shows – jahe vidhi rakhe Ram, tahe vidhi rehiye!”
'Trailer started 10 years back'
His casting in Hanuman Ansh, directed by Dr Vishal Chaturvedi, was itself unexpected. On his magical journey he says, “Everyone knows that from an assistant director, I landed in this role after the actor fell ill but the magic started 10 years back. I was assistant director in a student film Dhai Kalo by Vivek Kelkar in FTII, Pune and the lead actor got stuck and I did the lead role. Hanumanji ne then tab trailer dikhi thi ab puri picture dikha di.”
Shobhinaw knew he had a career in acting but had no idea how to go about it. “I just wanted to do something big and now my friends say you manifested it but I did not realise it then. It has been 10 years and I kept my promise to myself that kuch chota-mota role nahi karoonga!”
No to abuse and voilence on screen
He reveals that not been approached by anyone till now. “I am not even thinking about it right now and focusing on how this film and Baba’s name can reach everyone and everywhere. I will surely experiment but apni maryada ka khayal rakhonga my whole life – any saint, culture or great Indian personalities. I can’t abuse and do violence on screen as in real life too. I don’t speak such language, nor do I smoke or drink and live a satvik life. So, I will not do what I am not as I won’t be able to do justice to it!”
He feels that actors don’t get typecasted anymore like during the days of old Ramayana, Mahabharata and Sai Baba shows. “Now, things have changed. Earlier, people used to get stuck in one image but now industry and audience both accept actors, thanks to the Internet and social media.”
About Shobhinaw:
Shobhinaw was born in Khairabad, Sitapur and then after class VII shifted to Lucknow after hiis father’s posting and studied from Brightland Inter College.
“I joined Lucknow University but man nahi laga so did graduation from Faizabad University and simultaneously did acting course from Opulent School of Acting & Films in Lucknow and a small course at FTII, Pune. My father retired from the education department, mother has been a teacher, and I have a younger sister. They watched the film and had tears in their eyes. But, they roasted me in an interview saying ‘yeh ansoon baba ke liye hain, Shobhinaw ke liye nahi’.”
‘Please don’t touch my feet’
“When people touch my feet, I get very embarrassed as mere liye paap hai yeah. I tell them to hug and go touch the feet of Baba’s Shrimurti as I am only his daas and I have done this role on his direction,” he says and adds, “I first got introduced to Baba in 2009 when I was in High School when my friend Shubham Mishra showed my Baba’s story and his grandfather has done seva of the Baba so I heard many stories of him and since then I have become his follower.”
