‘Mirzapur 3’ actor Pallav Singh: ‘I have nothing in my armour except my confidence’

Imagine taking the center stage, sporting a smile, and then hurling abuses at the audience in the form of shayari and still winning accolades for it! Actor Pallav Singh, who essayed the role of Shayar Raheem in the acclaimed web series, Mirzapur 3, has done just that, on and off screen. Pallav's intriguing character of an 'obscene' poet in the popular crime thriller has become the talk of the town ever since it stormed the OTT space.

Talking to Indulge, the actor, who is basking in the praise for his performance, tells us, “I came to Mumbai without any backing in the film industry, and I erected my ship with the bare minimum tools I had. So, it's very gratifying. Moreover, Mirzapur is such a revered show, and I was convinced that it would give me good visibility. I instantly gave it a nod.”

When asked if he loved shayari off screen, he says, “I have been reading a lot of shayari, thanks to my brush with theatre and literature. But I have never delivered shayaris on stage. So, once I decided to take up the role, I swooped right into it. I spent all day with the script and daydreamed about what Shayar Raheem would be like. The script became a friend, and it guided me through the shoot. It was like having a love affair with the script.

Sharing his experience working with senior actors, including Pankaj Tripathi, he says, “I don't get terrified of people because I have nothing in my armour except my confidence. I think its because of this foolish, youthful energy. Once you take the plunge into the film industry, you should remember that the odds are stacked against you. People are either not ready to cast you or not willing to spend money on you. It felt like swimming in a pool of honey. I then realised that since I had set foot in the tinsel town, there was no looking back. If I subscribe to this, I will give it my best. I decided that I would deal with it one day at a time; otherwise, the challenge would seem unsurmountable.”

The actor is known for playing convoluted characters, be it Mirzapur 3 or Taj: Divided by Blood. “Well, I will take it as a compliment. At this stage of my life, I can't cherry-pick projects, and survival is the game. And my modus operandi is to figure out how beautifully and artistically to play it. I would like to experiment with genres—be it romance, action, or escapist cinema. I've seen almost every romantic film on earth, and I loved how Billy Wilder used to call them felt-cute. I love the comedy by Peter Sellers, Sacha Baron Cohen, Robin Williams, and Kader Khan. I dig into action as well and admire the works of Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, and Tom Cruise. I also have a thing for fantasy subjects like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings because one could stretch their imagination beyond limits. These four genres are on the top of my mind. After that, I will leave it what destiny has in store for me.”

And what about the upcoming projects? “I am looking forward to the release of Superboys of Malegaon, directed by Reema Kagti and written by Varun Grover. The film is all set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and will have an OTT release thereafter. I have another film in my kitty titled Woh Ladki Hai Kahan, directed by Arshad Syed and produced by Roy Kapoor Films, along with an independent project.

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