Actor Yajuvendra Pratap Singh hails from a small town Tanda, now in Ambedkar Nagar district, where he got an opportunity to watch the first film Pyar Kiya Toh Darna Kya (1998) in theatre after he turned 15. Till then he had just watched films on television and decided to become an actor, someday.
“After schooling, I took admission in hotel management college in Meerut. I got the opportunity to train at Delhi airport lounge where I chanced to meet cinema giants including Asha Bhosle, Pankaj Kapur and John Abraham. One day, Shekhar sir (Kapur, director) wrote a note to me ‘be fearless’ and that changed my personality and life,” says the OTT series Death Warrant (2019) actor.
After a few odd jobs, he shifted to Lucknow to try his hand in theatre. “I got to act in the play Bahadur Kalarin written by (late) Habib Tanvir saheb and adapted in Awadhi and directed by my theatre guru (late) Urmil Kumar Thapliyal saheb.”
For the next few years, he had several unsuccessful stints. “I shifted to Delhi and got an untitled film as the lead, but it got shelved. I again got a chance to play protagonist in Rangamahal: The Tale of Three Cities directed by late Sandeepan Vimalkant Nagar but it couldn’t release like another called Biyabaan: The Curse by Women got completed but didn’t see light of the day.”
{{/usCountry}}For the next few years, he had several unsuccessful stints. “I shifted to Delhi and got an untitled film as the lead, but it got shelved. I again got a chance to play protagonist in Rangamahal: The Tale of Three Cities directed by late Sandeepan Vimalkant Nagar but it couldn’t release like another called Biyabaan: The Curse by Women got completed but didn’t see light of the day.”
{{/usCountry}}Finally, his first release was Murari: The Mad Gentleman (2016) followed by Little Boy (2019). “My series Death Warrant got good viewership, but the game changer was Ek Ank based on river conservation. It has been screened in many festivals and has been hailed by the audience, water conversation bodies as well as other departments. We hope to release it very soon,” says the actor.
Next, he will be seen in the film Archituchchey that will be shot in Lucknow in November.
“To be directed by Avinash Gupta, the story is based on five friends including Ashmit Patel, Rohit Chaudhury, Sarvadaman Singh and Aanchal Munjal, but the story is from my perspective. It’s a very good subject. I will also be shooting for an untitled love story. So, I am living the dream I saw as a kid in my small town but still there is a long way to go.”