Known for his role of Akash in the Grammy-winning Netflix series Delhi Crime, actor Sanjay Bishnoi wants to be a part of experimental projects. The actor always hoped to work with filmmakers like Anurag Kashyap and Vishal Bharadwaj and tap into multiple genres with his work. His dream partly came true when he was offered Thar, written by Anurag. The movie is directed by Raj Singh Chaudhary and also features Anil Kapoor, Harshvardhan Kapoor, Fathima Sana Shaikh, and Mukti Mohan. We speak to the actor about his role, the movie, and more. Excerpts:
Tell us about your role.
I am playing the role of Dhanna, a guy from a small village in Rajasthan who steps out for work. It is set in the 90s and has the essence of a periodic film. It also happens to be one of India’s first western noir genre projects. There are elements of cynical heroes, underlying philosophies, and intricate plot lines. You can find all of these in Dhanna - a flamboyant rural boy with shades of grey.
What made you say yes to the project?
I already did Delhi Crime with Nextflix and was looking forward to doing more projects with the OTT platform. I got a call from a casting company and they asked me to audition for this role. Raj Singh and Anurag Kashyap were associated with the project and I have always admired their work. This is the kind of project I always wanted to be a part of. Also, it was set up in Rajasthan, and being a Rajasthani boy, I had to say yes to Thar.
What was the working experience on sets like?
To work with Anil Kapoor is like a dream come true. I grew up watching him and to see him perform live and the kind of routine and discipline he sets for himself was a very learning experience. Also working with Harsh, Fathima, and Mukti was interesting and fun.
Do you have a dream role?
Something like Irrfan Khan’s character like Maqbool…
What’s next?
There’s Demons by Rohit Mittal, In The Laws by Kabir Thapar, and there’s also Ratna Sinha’s project.
Thar is streaming on Netflix.