Ishwak Singh, who has been a part of well-received movies like Aligarh and Tum Bin 2, is in the limelight because of his latest release Paatal Lok that has taken social media by storm. Speaking exclusively to DH, ‘Ansari’ opens up about preparing for the Amazon Prime original and life as an artiste.
How did Paatal Lok happen?
I come from a theatre background and loved plays with a socio-political backdrop. I was always drawn towards content with realistic themes so Paatal Lok ticked the right boxes. All in all, it was the great script that prompted me to take up the show.
How did you prepare for the Amazon Prime original?
I do a fair deal of preparation for a role and not have a ‘chalo dekhenge’ mentality. For Paatal Lok, I visited a police station and observed how cops function. I experienced all the feelings that the characters go through and even interacted with investigating officers to understand how they work.
What type of a rapport did you share with Jaideep Ahlawat?
I got along well with everyone and shared a special bond with Jaideep. I liked his work in Gangs of Wasseypur and spoke to him about the same. In a way, our real-life rapport carried over to the reel world also.
You are an architect-turned-actor.
I always wanted to act but kind of digressed for a while. That said and done, I was good in architecture and even took up a few projects.
What is your ‘survival mantra’?
There is no mantra for survival in our industry. In fact, no actor can give you one. You just need to love your art to have a good career.
What is the future of theatres in the era of OTT platforms?
I feel that no medium will die out. Some stories work well on the (big) screen while others do better on another medium. The audience will ultimately have an appetite for more content. However, as an actor there is (broadly speaking) there is not much of a difference.
What keeps you going during difficult times?
The only way to deal with a setback is getting back to the craft. Acting is a powerful medium (for expressing oneself) and can really inspire. It helps you learn about the human mind and can pull you out of a low phase.