Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 11, 2021)

He may have played a brief role in Nikkhil Advani's short film, The Apartment, in Unpaused, but Ishwak Singh is looking at a promising 2021. For starters, the Paatal Lok breakout star is slated to headline one of Advani's upcoming web series. Even as he refuses to divulge details about the project, Singh counts himself lucky to be collaborating with the filmmaker.

"I have always admired Nikkhil sir's work. He is the kind of filmmaker who allows artistes to be fluid. The project came my way right after Paatal Lok. Telling a story in sync with a director's vision and the writing is the greatest high for an actor. Beyond that, one should be able to add his personal dimension to the character," explains the actor.

Singh, who made everyone sit up and take notice of his earnest act as Delhi police officer Imran Ansari in Paatal Lok, is grateful for 2020. "Last year has been life-changing. The series put me in the spotlight, and the industry finally opened its arms to me. I wanted people to know what I represent, and now, I have an identity."
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Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 11, 2021)

He had been doing projects here and there, but it was the web series Paatal Lok, which released in May 2020, that turned the tables. And Ishwak Singh is only glad. “Paatal Lok happened in May, and it was a big deal. It was kind of amazing, the response to it. It was a privilege that it was under the spotlight,” the actor says.

And the roles Singh is now getting are very different from the ones he’s done till date — in Aligarh (2016), Tum Bin 2 (2016) and Veere Di Wedding (2018). While the last two made it seem like he’s gunning for a chocolate boy image, Paatal Lok, which saw him play a cop, changed tracks.

The actor, who also starred in the anthology Unpaused, which features stories around the Coronavirus pandemic and its different aspects, explains that this is both happening organically and a conscious decision. “These days, the writing is so specific, you don’t see things like that and try to look for something deeper. I’ve realised every character is so different, even if they seem similar on the outside. For me, it always starts with writing. Like in Unpaused, you know it’s an ensemble, but it’s encouraging to be a part of something where you know your co-actors have a lot of zest. There is a possibility of you being part of something memorable,” says Singh, 30, who shared screen space with actor Richa Chadha in the anthology.

Theatres were shut due to Coronavirus, but they reopened in October. Singh feels the industry bounced back, and that was somewhat encouraging to see. “The industry has been strong and a bit of a braveheart, in the sense that it got up on its feet. Everyone got busy,” he observes.