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I knew I could rely on Digpal to bring out the best in me: Annup Sonii
Actor Annup Sonii will be seen as the main antagonist in his debut Marathi film, Fatteshikast
Annup Sonii will soon be making his Marathi film debut with Digpal Lanjekar’s, Fatteshikast. The actor will be seen as the main antagonist in the film, which is based on a battle that was led by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The film will portray the intricacies of planning, and the execution of an exceptional mission undertaken by the warrior king, which was planned and strategised by Jijabai Shahaji Bhosale, his mother.
Annup shares that he had a great time shooting for the film. Being the only non-Maharashtrian on the sets, he admits to have enjoyed the extra attention. “I was pampered on the sets. I am really looking forward to doing more regional films,” says the actor.
Interestingly, Annup’s character does not speak Marathi in the film, and hence, he did not have to work on the language. “Luckily for me, I did not have to speak the language. I was ready to work hard and learn the language, but my character did not need to. However, I am brushing up on my Marathi, in case I am approached for more films,” he adds.
When Digpal narrated the story to Annup, he found his character to be interesting. “Digpal is confident, capable and talented. His command over historical knowledge is really strong. His first film was made with limited resources, yet, he did a great job. I knew I was in safe hands,” he says.
Annup’s character expected him to be a little dramatic. About the preparation, he says, “My training at NSD (National School of Drama) came in handy here. Back then, we used to rehearse and practice plays set in almost every era. So, making the shift from a contemporary setting to a historical one was easy.”
But playing an antagonist came with its own challenges, as there was no way to cross check how a person behaved or spoke in that era. “There was a scene where I had to appear cold, without it looking over the top or over dramatic. So, we did try two-three speech variations to get it right. Digpal was very helpful and sat with me to explain the mannerisms and style of the character. We did manoeuvre it the way we wanted with a little creative liberty,” he says.
Annup admits that he did get a little sceptical initially, and would keep asking Digpal if the shot was okay. “I was never satisfied with what I was doing. However, after the initial few days, we were on the same page and the tuning was perfect. I knew I could rely on him to bring out the best in me,” he concludes.
