Actor Sudhanshu Pandey has given viewers a lot to cherish and remember, in the gigantic role of Vanraj Shah in Star Plus and Rajan Shahi’s Anupamaa. His sudden exit from the show has given rise to palpable reactions from the audience. He will sorely be missed in the show.
In a candid and exclusive conversation with IWMBuzz.com, Sudhanshu talks about his decision, his path ahead and also addresses the emotional reactions coming from his fans and well-wishers.
Read on.
Viewers are already missing you in the role of Vanraj Shah. Do you think moving out of Anupamaa was an unavoidable decision?
This is how Nature works. As said earlier, we work on something and give our cent per cent to it. However, there comes a day when we decide to end it. We tend to enjoy the phase, live it and later, let it go. So this was the time to let go for me. The four-year journey with Anupamaa has been exceptional. Vanraj Shah was the most controversial character to play, and I shouldered the huge responsibility of providing edge-of-the-seat entertainment to the audience for four years. I have given my sweat and blood to the role. Now, I have moved on and feel there are more things to explore as a performer.
Fans have sent out their strong feelings about how they will miss you as Vanraj Shah in Anupamaa. What do you have to say about it?
Frankly speaking, when I planned to announce my decision, I did not expect the reaction to be such a tremendous emotional breakdown. I did not realize that viewers were so very much emotionally attached to Vanraj. The reactions are overwhelming to me. I am glad that I announced my decision on social media. The love I have got is through the same audience. In future too, I will make sure that I connect with viewers. After all, as actors, we love the adulation we get. You can see that even today, Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan greet their fans on a regular basis, to reciprocate the love they get from their fans.
Does it come as a surprise that there have been no reactions coming from Producer Rajan Shahi on your exit?
I am not surprised, as everyone was aware of the decision. It was on mutual understanding that I moved out of the show. I am glad that no unnecessary reactions came. A lot of fabricated stories get made when people keep reacting to every decision or development. In such cases, there is no end at all.
How do you want to address the buzz that your quitting is related to Rupali Ganguly? What do you want to tell viewers?
I laughed it off every time someone said this. I make my own decisions in my mind. How can anyone compel me to do something like this? I owe my decisions to myself and God. People forget that any actor whatever stature he/ she is in, cannot be responsible for any decision another person makes.
Do you miss being on the sets of Anupamaa now?
Yes, I miss the bond that we shared on the set. When you are part of a show for four years, certain habits and associations happen as a regular routine. I surely miss that.
How easy or tough is it for you to move away from the character?
Honestly, I never thought in that direction. When you move on, you put everything behind you. If you try to turn back, there arises the problem. That’s exactly how my decision has been. I have moved on and have not thought about all of that. After all, that is the beauty of the art we are in. We look beyond, walk the path and explore more roles.
What are the kinds of roles you are looking at now?
I am looking at feature films now in Bollywood as well as down South. I am all set to explore the OTT world. There is a lot to look forward to.
There is news of you doing an Amazon miniTV series. Can you tell us about it?
There is a lot of news about upcoming work. But I cannot talk about anything until there is something concrete.
What are your immediate plans?
I am travelling outside Mumbai soon. I am back to my band – The Band of Boys. We have a music video ready and are working on two more. We have a tour around India that is scheduled. The goal is to recreate the magic of the band, there is a lot of passion involved in doing so. The Band of Boys will soon start doing live shows.
