Exclusive! Ankur Rathee: My career owes a great deal to the advent of OTT

Ankur Rathee is one of the most talented budding actors in the industry. The actor debuted with the 2019 film The Tashkent Files, while after that he was seen portraying the most versatile characters in multiple shows and movies.

After playing significant roles in Made In Heaven and City Of Dreams, that actor was recently seen in the third instalment of Inside Edge. In a candid chat with OTTplay, he recalled his journey in the industry till now and also informed us about his upcoming projects and more. Excerpts:

You started your career less than four years ago and since then you have been a part of a lot of great projects. Tell us about your journey so far.

When I began, I lived by the principle “work begets more work.” I did almost everything I could get my hands on, regardless of budget, genre, or medium. For me, it was first and foremost about growing as an actor, which meant being on as many sets as possible with people more talented than myself. If I felt I could grow through the experience or could leave an impact through my performance I emphatically said YES. I was fortunate to attract such opportunities. The more work I did earnestly, the more work came my way. 

You began your career when the OTT started booming and like your career it has grown a huge deal, which has been helpful for a lot of people attached to the industry and the aspiring actors as well. How do you feel about that?

My career owes a great deal to the advent of OTT and its disruption of our film industry and the ways of the “old guard”. By shaking things up the way it did, it challenged the way we approached storytelling. Stories, which previously had gone untested at a large scale, were now being financed and accompanied by the talent that similarly had gone untested. This created a host of opportunities for industry outsiders like myself.

It’s only been a few years but we’ve seen you portraying the most versatile characters in each of your projects. Is it a conscious decision of yours to go for the most challenging or different roles?

Generally, I don’t like to do the same type of role again unless I feel like I can add something drastically different to it. So in part, it’s a conscious decision, but I would be remiss to not acknowledge the divine hand that’s guided me to the right projects. 

You played the character of a gay man in Inside Edge 3. What was the most challenging thing while portraying Allen Manezes.

I also played a gay man in Made in Heaven, but the character of Allen came with different challenges, none of which involved his sexuality. The question I was tackling was “How can I fight for a cause that gives people the right to proudly own their identity while being with a partner who profits off of hiding his identity.” Love makes us do illogical things, and it was my job to make Allen’s choice believable. 

What matters the most when you take up a project, the script or the co-actors you’re going to work with or a bit of both?

Sometimes I agree to do a script I’m not convinced by simply because I trust the director’s experience and vision. Other times the opportunity to work opposite an acting stalwart is enough to get me on board. However, as I grow in my career I’ve become more selective and have learned the hard way that the DNA of a film is its script. No matter how clever you fancy yourself, you can’t fight what’s on the page, so the script better work.

If you ever get a chance to portray a character from history in a biographical film or series, whom would you like to play on the screen?

I would be honoured to play an athlete. Athletes hold such an important role in society and I’ve yet to see an Indian film that delves headfirst into the mayhem surrounding a sportsman’s public life and the turmoil and pressure of their inner world. Instead of celebrating what makes them godly, I want to play to their humanity and struggle. It takes a warrior to reach such heights, but being a warrior can be a gruesome business. How does one oscillate between arrogance and humility so seamlessly? They both seem like occupational necessities. The journey of one’s passion to profession to patriotism fascinates me. 

Your three favourite directors from around the globe and why.

The globe is far too big, but here’s my list in India:

Vishal Bhardwaj

Zoya Akhtar

Anurag Kashyap

And why? Their films of course!

Please tell us about all the future projects that are pipelined for you and your roles in those.

I’m currently shooting with Kriti Sanon and Kartik Aaryan for my new film, “Shehzada”, set to release Nov 2022. In the coming months, you can also expect to see a Netflix series I worked on.