Showing posts with label Anshuman Jha interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anshuman Jha interview. Show all posts
A lot of actors don’t make it because they have a backup plan-Anshuman Jha
4:44 PM
Shagun Roy (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 23, 2026)
Actor-director Anshuman Jha, known for Love Sex Aur Dhokha (2010), has never been one to follow the conventional route. Jha reflects on the choices that have shaped his journey so far.
For Anshuman, acting was never a fallback. Even when his mother wanted him to pursue a conventional career and become an IAS officer, he was certain about choosing the stage and screen. “I wanted to become an actor. My mother wanted me to become an IAS officer, and she was right, I would have, but I wanted to pursue acting,” he recalls.
His decision was not always easy. Asked to take science in Class 11, Jha deliberately left his first unit-test papers blank. “My principal actually called my mother and said, ‘Why aren't you letting him just do arts?’”
Eventually, he got into St Xavier's College, Mumbai, after initially missing the first list. “Luckily, I made the second list at Xavier's, and then I got the licence to move to Bombay. And then the rest, as they say, is history.”
Years later, Jha says fatherhood has given him a different perspective on life. He and his wife have taken an unconventional approach to their daughter’s early education. He recalls reading the Bhagavad Gita to her before she was born, and says she has now begun reading it with him.
“She's reading the Bible, then she'll read the Quran. We are trying — now we are on the Bible. The aim is that by the time she's five, she should have read once at least all these basic books.”
For Jha, fatherhood is ultimately about the simplest moments. “Fatherhood is the best thing that has happened and I'm just very grateful. Every morning she wakes up with a big smile and it reminds us that that's what we need to do.”
That understanding of parenthood has also made his upcoming film Om Ka Hari, a father-son drama comedy co-starring Raghubir Yadav, particularly personal. Jha says he did not spend much time with his father, who travelled frequently, but they shared a close and open relationship. His father died in 2020, and the last message he sent Jha was about a film he wanted him to watch. “He saw a movie called Lucy, and he knew I love action movies, so his last message to me is ‘Watch Lucy.’”
Jha says his biggest regret is that he never got to tell his father how much he loved him. “I never got a chance to say I love you to him.”
When the script of Om Ka Hari came to him in 2022, that emotional connection immediately drew him in. “There must be so many men and women who have had a relationship with their dad, but never got a chance to say, ‘I love you’ to them. This film is very special on that regard for me.”
Having Raghubir Yadav play his father made the experience even more meaningful, particularly because Jha’s late mother had encouraged him to work with the veteran actor.
Looking back at his own journey, Jha sees struggle not as an obstacle but as an essential part of growth. “You can be your best version only if you struggle.”
He remains firmly against keeping acting as a backup option. “And again, unpopular opinion, you should never have a backup plan. A lot of actors don't make it because they have a backup plan. You need to jump into the ocean and think deep. Shallow waters never make great swimmers.”
His curiosity extends beyond acting. Jha says he would happily return to being an assistant director to learn from filmmakers he admires. “I'm a great assistant director. I love being on a film set. Like if tomorrow Zoya Akhtar allows me to be her assistant, I will go and assist her. I have zero ego. I would love to be her assistant and learn from her.”
Next, he is preparing for Lakadbaggha 3, which he says will demand a significant physical transformation. “What I'm trying to do there is physically so demanding,” he says, adding that actors owe it to audiences who spend their hard-earned money on films. “People are paying Rs. 400, Rs. 500 to see you, and that's their hard-earned money. So you owe it to them.”
The Lakadbaggha franchise is my love letter to animals and a homage to Bruce Lee-Anshuman Jha
10:16 AM
Neha Maheshwri (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 11, 2026)
Anshuman Jha’s Lakadbaggha 2: The Monkey Business, the sequel to the 2023 action thriller Lakadbaggha, is set for an exclusive market screening at the Marché du Film as it gears up for international distribution ahead of its official world premiere later this year. Set against the backdrop of Indonesia, the India-Indonesia co-production combines martial arts action with an environmental message centred around wildlife trafficking.
The film also shines a light on the critically endangered Yaki monkey, whose population has reportedly declined from nearly 50,000 in the 1990s to fewer than 5,000 in 2025 due to habitat destruction and illegal wildlife trade.
Speaking about the vision behind the sequel, Anshuman says, “Lakadbaggha 1 was rooted in my love for dogs, while Lakadbaggha 2: The Monkey Business widens that lens to all animals. Animals are going extinct because humanity is going extinct. We wanted to elevate the action, not just in intensity but also in meaning, because beyond the fights lies the question of what you stand for. Marché du Film gives us the platform to take this story to global audiences who value cinema that engages both the heart and the mind.”
Opening up about how the sequel expands the world of the franchise, he says, “The Lakadbaggha franchise has always been my love letter to animals and a homage to Bruce Lee. With Lakadbaggha 2: The Monkey Business, we’ve gone bigger, darker and more international. The story moves into the brutal underworld of illegal wildlife trafficking in Southeast Asia, centred around the critically endangered Yaki monkey. The action is larger, but the emotional and environmental stakes are even more real.”
For Anshuman, the screening at Marché du Film marks a significant milestone for an independent Indian action franchise.
He shares, “Marché du Film Cannes is the biggest film market in the world, so showcasing Lakadbaggha 2 there before its world premiere is a massive opportunity. We’re hoping to take an Indian martial arts franchise to global players like Toho, Well Go USA and Kino, who have backed internationally recognised action franchises such as Ip Man, Train to Busan and Godzilla Minus One. For an independent Indian action franchise, this is rare territory, and I’m deeply grateful to the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme and Webfilmland Germany for believing in the film and supporting it at Cannes.”
Sharing how the Indo-Indonesian collaboration came together, he says, “It began with the script. Writer Sourav Ghosh had set the story in Indonesia, and in 2023, I watched the Indonesian film Sara. I reached out to the team behind it, which led to Matta Cinema coming on board. From there, the collaboration grew organically with support from Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Creative Economy. We were especially excited to showcase West Java, a stunning part of Indonesia that global audiences haven’t really seen on screen in this way before.”
Anshuman Jha trains hard to master Krav Maga for his upcoming film, Lakadbaggha
8:22 AM
Sugandha Rawal (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 31, 2021)
Actor Anshuman Jha is gearing up for some nail-biting hand-to-hand combat on screen, for which he is taking professional training. While the actor is well-versed with several fighting styles, the one he is learning for the film is quite different.
Known as Krav Maga, this mixed-martial art and self- defence system is at the core of action that Jha’s character will perform in the upcoming film, Lakadbaggha. “I have also trained in Kalaripayattu and Parkour in between, but Krav Maga is a different beast,” says the actor, who reveals that being trained in taekwondo as a kid, did help him to a certain extent. “Because of my training in taekwondo, my basics are in the right direction,” he shares.
Prepping for the action sequence since July, the actor is now in New York to train with Tsahi Shemesh, a self-defence expert, specialising in Krav Maga.
The Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele actor has put many months of hard work into the craft, and admits he has been feeling the strongest. “Sparring with Shemesh on the floor is a reality check on how far ahead the road is for me,” he says, adding, “Any martial arts form is eventually about kicks and punches, defence and offence. Only the form and style changes. Balance remains the key. But the body reacts differently to when you’re 12 to when you re 32. But I’m feeling 12 again. The curiosity to discover and learn can do magic to the mind and brain.”
For Jha, the journey has been a physically challenging one, but he aims to ace the martial art , and not just learn it for the film. “It’s pushing my mind, body and core. But that will eventually help me perform, as the movement will flow and not look forced. I want to give it my 200% so that the audience doesn’t feel let down in any aspect of the film. It’s our responsibility as artistes to serve the best that we can,” he shares.
Thanks to his training, the actor promises some raw, in-your-face hand to hand combat in the action flick. “The film combines my two biggest passions —love for animals and action — so I’m invested. There’s action with a purpose. There’ll be an eclectic fusion of Indian and foreign cast, crew to bring forth their expertise for a first of its kind film in the genre from India,” he ends.
It’s satisfying that our film was liked by New York’s LGBTQIA community-Anshuman Jha
8:07 AM
Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; December 2, 2019)
Film and theatre actor Anshuman Jha, who debuted in Bollywood with Dibakar Banerjee’s Love, Sex Aur Dhoka (2010) and went on to do offbeat films like Yeh Hai Bakrapur (2014), Chauranga (2014), Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain (2017) and No Fathers In Kashmir (2019), is thrilled. His new film Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele (HBATBA), directed by Harish Vyas, has bagged the Best Film Audience Choice Award at the HBO South Asian International Film Festival at its World Premiere in New York City. Excerpts from a chat:
You have done several impressive offbeat films, but a role like this must have been a different challenge. Tell us about your part and prep for the film?
HBATBA is India’s first LGBTQIA film after the Supreme Court’s landmark judgement decriminalising homosexuality in 2018. The film revolves around the friendship between a gay man and a lesbian (played by Zareen Khan) as they embark on a road journey. Veer’s role (my character) was offered to many actors before it finally came to me, and I am glad they all rejected it (laughs!). I was never hesitant to play a gay character, but everyone around me told me that it was not a good idea. However, I took it up as a challenge and did a lot of homework. I read up a lot and met people from the community. HBATBA has been an immensely draining yet satisfying experience. We received great appreciation from the LGBTQIA community in New York. And, the best part is, we were voted the winners. That makes me proud. In India, the community has been repressed for long and judged by society. So, my job as a heterosexual man was to portray Veer in the most sensitive manner possible — without playing him in a conventional way (as we have often seen in our cinema) and making a caricature of the character.
You have played a variety of characters in your career so far. Which of them do you identify the most with?
Over the years, I have realised that I identify the most with vulnerable characters - on stage and screen. Luckily, I have been offered unconventional roles. In my next, Midnight Delhi, I play reallife serial killer, Blademan. I think that even a criminal has a human side to him, and I find portraying that vulnerability challenging. I have never networked for roles and have picked the best from what I was offered.
How was it working with Zareen Khan in HBATBA?
There is a good actor in her, and she must do more roles like this. Our equation and chemistry translated well on screen.
Do you think films like HBATBA will change the way LGBTQIA characters are written for our films?
I think that it’s already changing. Shakun Batra did it with Kapoor & Sons (2016), and our film will take it a step further. Harish Vyas has written the two characters (played by Zareen and me) as a celebration of the community. There was a popular line from a Karan Johar film that I grew up on — ‘Pyaar Dosti Hai’. This film is about discovering that love in friendship.
You are also turning director in 2020…
Bikas Mishra, who I worked with in Chauranga, has written the script of Lord Curzon Ki Haveli, and we both felt that it would be best if I directed it as I am very close to it. It’s a black comedy and features Tannishtha Chatterjee and Arjun Mathur. Two more leads are yet to be locked. It will roll out in the UK in early 2020.
Apart from working on your directorial, what else is on the cards in 2020?
On the personal front, 2019 has been a tough year. My mother is battling cancer, and I have shifted her from Delhi to Mumbai. Hopefully, she will be better soon. For now, I want to cherish every moment with her. Professionally, it’s inspiring to see the kind of work actors like Ranveer Singh, Ayushmann Khurrana, Vicky Kaushal and Vikrant Massey are doing. I also admire Anurag Kashyap and Zoya Akhtar’s work, and hopefully, I will get an opportunity to work with them in 2020.
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