'I always had complaints with God'

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Hailing from a remote town of Punjab, Anas Rashid aka Suraj of Diya aur Bati Hum is now a household name. The actor was recently in the city to support the contestants of MasterChef - Season 3.

After winning millions of hearts as a cook in the daily soap, Anas in a candid chat shares his journey as a chef in real life too.

“Before joining the industry I used to work as a chef in my own restaurant. In a place  like Malerkotla where food menu starts with chhole kulche and ends with parantha, I was the first one to introduce fast food,” shares Anas proudly. Was being a chef his cup of tea?

“Initially cooking was a boring task but I was also amazed to note that the world’s best top chef is a male! It inspired me to stick to my profession but I remained dissatisfied. Around that time, friends around me used to say I looked more like a hero than a chef,” reminisces the actor, who today feels privileged that people recognises him as a  halwai making  jalebis in the serial. “I learnt how to make jalebis within two days,”
he laughs.

Though successful today, the 33-year-old actor, always had complaints against God when he had forayed into the industry. “Though I had done four serials before Diya aur Bati Hum I always had complaints with God for not shaping my career the way I desired. I used to see other actors and feel if I could do their roles, I’d be better off.

Today, after seven years I realise that God had better plans in store,” says Anas, who was earlier seen in Kahiin toh Hoga, Dharti ka Veer Yodha Prithviraj Chauhan and Aise Karo Na Vida.

Recalling moments which instilled faith in him, the actor says, “By the time I realised that I lacked something I was already five years old in the industry. 

That moment was God’s indication to bring certain changes. I began grooming myself and tried to evolve as an actor. I think God saw that and gave me a lifetime opportunity with Diya...”

Quiz him about his take on female driven industry, Anas says, “Male actors have a very short life span in the television industry but I want to continue working in serials.” Does the short life span bother him? “Honestly, I don’t think much about it. If one serial is over I wait for eight to nine months to work in another daily soap. So far, serials have constantly come. I haven’t made much effort.” 

Will television be used as a stepping stone to Bollywood? “Seriously, I wish to make my name in films also but television will always be something I would love to be connected with,” he replies.