After years of steady perseverance, Anup Soni feels he is finally arriving at a phase he had long been working towards. The journey, he admits, required patience, resilience and the willingness to live with a strong image shaped by his long association with Crime Patrol.

He says, “I never felt the need to break the Crime Patrol image because I didn’t want to appear ungrateful to something that gave me so much love and credibility. When people said the image was very strong, I accepted that for them to envision me in a different light would take time. I was willing to wait and choose the kind of work I genuinely wanted to do. To stay creatively fulfilled during that phase, I returned to theatre, as it doesn’t demand that you live up to a fixed image.”

At this stage, Anup says he feels lighter and more assured, especially as meaningful opportunities are finally coming his way. He says, “There is such a crowd of actors today that only strong work stands out. You have to trust your instinct and choose wisely. I’m happy with the kind of work being offered to me now. It genuinely feels like a payoff for the patience I showed.”

Citing Akshaye Khanna as an example, he adds, “I feel extremely happy watching Akshaye’s journey. I have taught him acting and have done several classes with him. I’ve always admired his clarity of thought. He has experienced the journey of being a leading man, and what he is doing today is truly commendable. He has reached a stage where he is such a credible and dependable actor that you can cast him in any role. That kind of freedom as an actor is wonderful.”

On whether variety remains skewed towards stars, Anup is practical. “Complaining won’t change anything. The star system exists everywhere. My journey is my own, and my focus is simple. I have to keep working and let my performances speak. Sometimes, all it takes is one role that truly lands. There’s nothing more fulfilling than earning work through good work, and I finally feel I’m seeing the results of that patience now,” he says.

(From left) Actors Suhail Nayyar, Kritika Kamra, Anup Soni, Sunny Hinduja, and Pratik Gandhi at the special chat moderated by mid-day’s Priyanka Sharma, at St Xavier’s College in Mumbai. Pics/Kirti Surve Parade

To celebrate India’s 79th Independence Day on Friday, mid-day and Netflix India brought a slice of the country’s past to St Xavier’s College in Mumbai. The auditorium was packed with eager students, their eyes glued to the stage, where the cast of Saare Jahan Se Accha — a spy thriller inspired by real-life events of the 1970s — sat down for a chat with mid-day.

The show — starring Pratik Gandhi, Sunny Hinduja, Kritika Kamra, Anup Soni, and Suhail Nayyar — dropped online only a day before Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR’s ambitious spy offering War 2 opened in cinemas.

Pointing out that the series and the YRF spy films hail from dramatically different worlds, we posed a hypothetical scenario to Gandhi: What would Vishnu Shankar, his intelligence officer character in the show, chat about with Roshan’s Kabir Dhaliwal, Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan, and Salman Khan’s Tiger if they crossed paths?

“I don’t think I’ll recruit them ever. I’ll ask them to join the entertainment industry,” he quipped, eliciting uproarious laughter from the audience.

Gandhi had his reason for the choice. When we mentioned that the treatment of spies and their lives in Saare Jahan Se Accha is gritty and real, a marked difference from that in films, the actor elaborated, “War 2 and all those films talk about wars. The heroes are fighting the wars, whereas real-life spies’ job is to avoid wars.”

The actor pointed out another difference — the agents on the big screen look too dashing for their own good. “These agents are not supposed to look like heroes, because then they will [draw] attention. They should be able to blend in. If they can do any kind of stunts, I guess the world will know that this guy is up to something,” he said.

Given the occasion, we asked the actors what freedom means to them. Kamra said, “Freedom is the ability to dissent. You are truly free with someone, or as a citizen, if you can speak your mind fearlessly.”

Soni added, “If we can hug each other, say what we want, eat whatever we want, that’s freedom.”

After a five-year hiatus, Anup Soni is returning as the anchor of Crime Patrol, a show he has long been synonymous with. For an actor who thrives on exploring new avenues with every project, how will this new season and his approach as an anchor differ from the past?

He says, “My approach remains as honest and grounded as it was five years ago. I’ve never adopted a fixed style or method. When I began hosting Crime Patrol in 2010, it was new for me too, and I just tried to be myself. I don’t want to come across as someone who’s all-knowing or trying to scare the audience. My role is simply to inform and alert them about the presence of crime in our society and remind them of safety measures. The key is connection. I need to connect with the audience, just as I did in the past. Rarely in life kuchh kaam aise ho jaate hain jinse aapka naam judd jaata hai aur woh kayi baar aapki image bhi bann jaati hai. While there are some drawbacks to it, it is ultimately a blessing that people recognize and shower you with love because of that show. I will always be grateful for this show in my life. The main reason for me to return to the show is its well-planned structure, which allows me to balance his acting projects. I’m an actor at heart, always hungry to explore new roles in different genres, whether in web series, films, or indie projects.”

Despite his love for Crime Patrol, the actor recalls a time when his association with the show led directors to assume he was too busy to take on new acting roles. He says, “There was a time when directors would ask, ‘Can Anup even spare time to read a script?’ They thought I was tied up with Crime Patrol because of its frequent repeat telecasts. When I left the show, a lot of people told me, ‘Kya bewakoofi kar rahe ho yaar?’ This is the rule of our industry jo chal raha hai, usko chalne do. Par agar main actor banne aaya tha toh main chalaane thodi aaya tha. Agar mujhe zindagi chalaani thi toh I would have done a 9-to-5 job. I was hungry as an artiste.”

Ask him about the challenges of finding meaningful roles as an actor his age, he replies, “Fortunately, I’m getting great offers from OTT platforms and films. Acting isn’t a specialized job. You don’t need formal training or a degree. If you perform well in an audition and fit the character, you get cast. Tomorrow, if a doctor wants to pursue acting, he can join the industry and become my competitor. But I can’t suddenly decide to become a doctor. I always say, if you want to be an actor, come when you truly feel it’s your passion. Craft is what will help you survive in the long run. Being successful is not the big thing; sustaining success is. Becoming popular isn’t the real challenge — staying relevant and continuing to grow as an actor is.”

The conversation turns to the changing landscape of stardom. Anup acknowledges that while content is king today, the obsession with looks and stardom is unlikely to fade.

He says, “We are a starstruck society, and always will be. We are biased about looks and will remain so. Star power still holds weight in the industry, whether it’s television, OTT, or cinema. Even today, when casting for big roles, directors often prefer established actors. As an actor, I haven’t come to bring a revolution. However, I believe there’s room for newcomers, and a fresh face can rise to stardom if given the right opportunity. While it’s fair for parents to support their children’s careers, the industry must also nurture talented outsiders. It’s important to maintain balance to avoid resentment. The problem arises when that balance is lost. Nepotism itself isn’t the issue; it’s every parent’s right to support their child and give them a platform. But the industry as a whole must strike that balance.”

Lastly, we ask him if plans to take on acting projects in television again and he responds, “I’m not undermining television, but daily soaps take up so much time that they leave little room for other projects. Right now, my focus is on exploring a variety of roles across films and web series. Growth happens when you’re exposed to different roles, directors, and actors.”

It was in July 2008 that the TV show, Balika Vadhu, first aired. With the sensitive subject of child marriage at its centre, the show became a huge success in no time. As it clocks 15 years, actor Anup Soni, who played the supportive father-in-law of the young bride (played by actor Avika Gor) for six years, reveals that the he had turned down the show twice before finally accepting it.

He recalls, “I had taken a break from acting during that period and I told them (the makers) that. Then, they approached me again saying, ‘Ek baar story sunn lo’. I did, and I found it interesting. But, this show was going to air on a new channel and I thought itne channels toh already hain. So I rejected it again!”

It was when he was approached for a third time that Soni took it as a “sign” and said yes to the show that ended in 2016. “Plus, my dear friend Smita Bansal, who played my wife in the show, also said, ‘Yaar kar le show’,” he recounts.

The 48-year-old shares that the show has a fanbase even in countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam, where it was dubbed and aired.

He says, “My scientist friend in Vietnam [still] tells me, I will have to have my arm around you when we go out on the streets or else we will get mobbed!’ People there are crazy about Balika Vadhu.”

Juhi Babbar Soni, daughter of Nadira and Raj Babbar, is an established name in the world of theatre, but she now wants to focus on other mediums as well. The actress, who was recently seen in Hansal Mehta’s Faraaz, talks about what lies ahead.

My first film Kaash Aap Humaare Hote was a sweet and simple film. I personally feel I was not so bad in it, but unfortunately, the film didn’t do well. I did get work after that, but nothing that really excited me.

In fact, I feel happy and proud when I look back that even at a younger age, I didn’t succumb to the idea of fame, money or glamour and completely shifted my focus to theatre. There had been a lot of television offers, but that would require me to shoot for almost 25 days at a stretch. Since I had got married and then my son was born, I did not want to be away from him.

In 2018, I did the film, Aiyaary, but unfortunately, the fact that I was back somehow went unnoticed. In 2019, I signed a big film and even shot for it, but then the film got shelved. But the good part was that I got on to social media and started posting pictures and videos and I started getting noticed. That’s how the casting director noticed me and Hansal sir offered me Faraaz. Recently, I shot for Alvira and Atul Agnihotri’s film and a web series, too.

There have been instances where I have expressed my wish to work with certain filmmakers, but I am still not the person who would call someone and say that I was on a sabbatical, and now I am keen to work again. I never really did that. Being my parents’ daughter has always worked in my favour because my father, Raj Babbar, has a good reputation in the industry and is known for being versatile and self-made and my mother is known for her dedication towards her art.

When I did not get good work in cinema, theatre is all I had. In recent times, I have been shooting for movies and web shows, but all along, my play With Love, Aap Ki Saiyaara has also had shows across India. I am already working on another play, so theatre will never take a backseat.

Talking about her husband Anup Soni and son Imaan, Juhi says, “I have worked on two plays with Anup – Begum Jaan and Pencil Se Brush Tak. We would love to work together again. But right now, as parents, we try and balance it out with at least one parent trying to be at home with our 10-year-old son. Imaan is aware that his mother is now returning to work slowly. In fact, it is because of him that I am working again… he expressed a wish to see me on screen. I guess his wish was so heartfelt that the universe worked around it.”

Late actor Surekha Sikri, who is known for her roles in the TV show Balika Vadhu and films such as Zubeidaa (2001) and Badhaai Ho (2018), lives on through her works. On her birth anniversary, her on-screen son from Balika Vadhu, actor Anup Soni, revisits precious moments spent with her, both on and off the set.

Talking about their shared alma mater, Soni says, “Both of us were from the National School of Drama (NSD). She was much senior than me and was a legend! She was a theatre tycoon.”

The actor recollects memories of his and actor Satyajit Sharma’s intellectual discussions with Sikri and shares, “Satyajit, who played my brother [on the show], is also from NSD. So, Surekha ji, Satyajit and I used to often discuss our institute. She was also very well-read and a sharp person, and she used to have intellectual discussions with us.”

The 48-year-old emphasizes that Sikri had already achieved heights when the two started working together on the daily soap. “We worked together for almost six years. I noticed [on the sets] that her dedication was so great that she used to prepare for her scenes on a daily basis. She used to read and correct her lines very meticulously,” he adds. 

Although Sikri played the strict Dadisa on the show, Soni shares that she was nothing like that in real life. “She used to do cute little things, yet people were scared of her on the sets as she was very particular about work,” he recalls.

India is a land where there is an audience for every medium, believes Anup Soni. It is with this idea that the actor, armed with years of experience in theatre, television, and movies, has forayed into the audio medium. He is set to host The Unsung Heroes for Audible, a podcast that offers 20 real-life stories of hope, empathy and acts of kindness. Soni gives us a lowdown on how he fine-tuned his skills to suit the new medium, and how the podcast made him a “better human being”.

Edited excerpts from the interview.

When theatre is your foundation, all the mediums can easily be fine-tuned. The only difference between the two mediums is that in audio, you have to be more expressive with your voice because your face is not seen. Everything has to be conveyed through your voice. So, your sound has to have that impact. I don’t want to boast about it, but so many years of experience prepared me for this. It’s like changing the radio station by a meter to get the right sound.

In India, there is space for everything. When television came, [everyone believed] that radio was [dying]. Then, private FM channels came in, and people were glued to them. Our population is so huge that we have the space to accommodate everything. People stuck in traffic completely depend on the radio. A lot of FM channels also have short stories now. If I want to know about someone, and there is an audiobook about the person, I will gladly tune in.

While listening to my own podcast, I explored a lot of new things [in the audio space] — from books, motivational talks, to thrillers, and songs. I lean more towards autobiographies and inspiring stories. That is why my first podcast is all about inspiring stories. When I got the offer from close friend and producer Monisha Singh Katial, I was excited.

A sutradhaar is the thread that connects the story and the audience. The anchor plays an important role in making the audience believe in his stories. The Unsung Heroes is inspired by situations around us. The purpose of this show is to inspire people. We’ve often heard that people have become selfish, we don’t care about one another, and that there is a lot of apathy. These stories will inspire people to do good, even in the smallest way possible.

One of the stories is about how a policeman helps a lost girl reunite with her family. Another story revolves around a guy who is confused about his sexuality at a young age, and how society treats a boy who has effeminate traits. Today, the person has transformed as per his orientation, and she is now a successful person. This show is more emotional, while Crime Patrol’s aim was to make people aware of the dangers around them. This show reminds people to be kind to others. I believe this podcast has made me a better human being.

After his stint as the host of a TV series based on real-life crime cases, Anup Soni seems to have taken interest in the science of criminal investigation. During the lockdown this year, the actor completed a three-month course on crime scene investigation.

“A friend asked me, ‘You quit the show to focus on your acting assignments, then why you did such a course?’. But for me, iska acting se koi lena dena nahin hai. It was interesting and that’s why I did it,” shares Sonii, 49, who quit the TV show in 2018.

The actor, however, admits that his interest in crime scene investigation did grow during the show, and this course happened because of it. “I feel my interest got more underlined while hosting the show. I came across so many cases where there were no proofs, and the police and forensic team [still] cracked them. That was fascinating for me,” says Soni, adding that since his shoots got pushed due to the lockdown in March this year, he “came across this [course] and thought why not”.

But one wonders what’s the relevance and application of such a course. The actor says while he didn’t have an agenda in mind while doing the course, he does have a plan about how it can help him.

“I’m an actor and will always be one. It’s not that I’ll go out and investigate. But this was more like gathering knowledge. A couple of my friends said they’re writing a crime story and they want me to help with it. People don’t know so much about that, and how prima facie investigation plays a big role. Aise kuchh cases ko examples banake ek interesting book likh sakta hoon. Not the boring lecture ones,” Soni concludes.

National Award-winning actress Surekha Sikri passed away yesterday morning after suffering a cardiac arrest. “She had been suffering from complications arising from a second brain stroke. She was surrounded by family and her caregivers. The family asks for privacy at this time,” her manager said. Sikri was 75 when she breathed her last in Mumbai. She is survived by her son, Rahul Sikri.

An NSD graduate, Sikri, who was always associated with theatre, made her film debut with the 1978 political drama film Kissa Kursi Ka, and since then, proved her versatility as an actress with a variety of roles. Known for her acting prowess, she has won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress thrice for her roles in Tamas (1988), Mammo (1995) and Badhaai Ho (2018). She won the Filmfare Award for the Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Badhaai Ho. In her long career, she has been a part of films like Naseem (1995), Sardari Begum (1996), Sarfarosh (1999), Dillagi (1999), Zubeidaa (2001) and Sniff (2017). Her TV projects include shows like Banegi Apni Baat (1993), Just Mohabbat (1996), Balika Vadhu (2008) and Pardes Mein Hai Mera Dil (2016), among others.

Among her last acting projects were an anthology released on a digital platform and the short film Sheer Qorma (2020), which also featured Shabana Azmi, Divya Dutta and Swara Bhasker. Talking about her, Azmi says, “Surekha Sikri was a terrific actor and has gone away too early. There were roles waiting to come her way. Zoya (Akhtar) had cast her in a short film (in 2020) even though she was confined to a wheelchair after a stroke. There was such a demand for her, particularly after Badhaai Ho. My deepest condolences to her family.” Manoj Bajpayee took to social media to express grief. “One of the greatest talents, Surekha Sikri ji, passed away leaving behind so many great performances in theatre and cinema! She was a treat to watch on stage. Can’t forget some of those memories of her act in theatre. great craft and a graceful person! (sic),” he wrote.

Neena Gupta, who played Sikri’s daughter-in-law, posted a video saying, “I remember watching her performance when I was in NSD. Main sochti thi, mujhe aisi actress banna hai. Phir Badhaai Ho mein saath main kaam kiya. I would keep watching her when she would perform. Itna kuch seekhne ko mila, aur itna kuch baaki tha. She was such a committed actor. In one scene, she had to scold the members of our family and then I had to react. We told her to just give the cue in a very normal manner. But irrespective of the number of takes, she gave the cue with as much gusto every time as she had performed her scene. Aise log bahut kam milte hain. I feel so sad that she is no more.”

While Sikri was a part of many TV shows, she won immense appreciation and popularity for her portrayal of the strict Dadisa in Balika Vadhu (2008). Annup Sonii, who played her son in the show, had a special connection with her. Remembering her, he shares, “While studying at NSD, I had heard so much about her that it was like a dream come true to work with her. She must have been 60-plus when we started shooting for Balika Vadhu. Many actors at that age might feel that abhi bohot kaam kar liya and they take their work for granted. But the kind of passion she had for her craft was commendable. I have seen her working on her dialogues and rehearsing her lines. She was extremely passionate about her craft.”

— TNN

On Wednesday, John Abraham and Divya Khosla Kumar will flag off Satyameva Jayate 2. The filming of the Bhushan Kumar and Nikkhil Advani production will continue in Lucknow till January 2021.

“On the first day, we will shoot only with the lead pair, but subsequently, other actors like Harsh Chhaya, Gautami Kapoor, Shaad Randhawa, Anup Soni, and Sahil Vaid will join in. We will be shooting across Lucknow, including at heritage structures like palaces and colleges,” informs director Milap Zaveri, all praise for the Uttar Pradesh government. “Some of the live locations will be completely sealed off, so crowd gazers cannot sneak in. Only our cast and crew will be present on the spot.”

He shares that even action scenes will be shot on the streets of Lucknow and he has taken his leading man through all the locations virtually. He lauds John for agreeing to shoot in these tough times. His producer acknowledges the challenge, but is confident stringent SoPs will create a safe shooting environment. “It will be scary for the crew at live locations, but it is important to give our audience some entertainment during this pandemic,” asserts Bhushan, promising that Part 2 will be bigger and better than the 2018 original. “When we decide to take a franchise forward, we have to be ready with larger-than-life stories and characters. This script is a notch higher and Milap has worked rigorously on the action scenes with John during the lockdown.”

His production partner, Nikkhil, who was with Milap in Lucknow, asserts that since Milap has developed the subject, he realised that Lucknow would be an apt setting and relocated the story there. Before Coronavirus struck, SMJ 2 was based in Mumbai. His director confides that John’s roots in the film are in Varanasi and believes that the transition will give the film a pan-India feel, appealing even to viewers in the interiors. They will also be shooting for a few days at a Mumbai studio early next year before calling it a wrap.

Nikkhil, whose production house has completed three films in the last few months, including Kiara Advani’s Indoo Ki Jawani, Kaashvie Nair’s cross-border love story and Akshay Kumar’s espionage thriller, Bellbottom, in Scotland, is confident that this one, too, will be a smooth ride. “Our teams will ensure and take all precautionary measures for the safety of the entire crew,” Nikkhil avers.

The film will open on Eid 2021. “It’s a franchise that celebrates the victory of good over evil and that’s a perfect recipe for Eid. Plus, there’s lots of action, drama and dialoguebaazi,” Milap signs off.

Crime Patrol, a TV show that portrays real life crime incidents, plans to do another episode on Aruna Shanbaug, who passed away Monday morning after living in a vegetative state for the last 42 years. Aruna, a nurse from KEM Hospital, had been raped in 1973. In the last few years, she had also become the topic for debate on euthanasia.

Anup Soni, who anchors Crime Patrol, said, “When we filmed her episode, it was way back in 2004 when the fourth season of the show had just started. The story was so sensitive and touching at that time as much as it is now, that we really wanted to bring the brutality of the convict out, and also the fact that he was not punished severely for brutally attacking a woman like this. Secondly, the beautiful part of this story was the fact that the nurses of the hospital took the responsibility of looking after Aruna for 42 years. This really shows how noble the whole profession is, and what a good example of humanity it is. We are planning to make another episode on her.“

Actors Smita Bansal and Anup Soni Balika Vadhu's Sumitra and Bhairon are quitting the show after six years. They will shoot their last episode in the last week of May. Keeping their popularity in mind, we hear, the makers will not replace them on the show. Instead, they will be shown leaving the city.

Says Smita, “This show has given me a lot, but I have nothing more to offer to the character. As an actor, I am exhausted doing the same thing. At the same time, I understand that the story had to move ahead and that more tracks had to be incorporated. I had nothing to explore in mine."

Isn't it risky to quit a popular show? “I don't believe it would be difficult to find work. Actors who are professional and don't throw tantrums, do get work. I don't have to work for money and don't mind sitting at home for a couple of years," she says. Wouldn't being a part of another show distract her from the burnout? “I had participated in a reality show but the stint was short. Also, Balika Vadhu kept me too busy to take up another show,“ she asserts. For now, Smita wants to spend quality time with her husband and two daughters and doesn't know how long the break would last. “I want to take up something that's creatively exciting," she signs off.

Actor Anup Soni feels he isn't contributing to the show any more. Says he, “I have had a wonderful time being part of Balika Vadhu for the last six years. But I wasn't doing much for the past year-and-a-half.
The decision to quit was a mutual one between the production house and me. The show is bigger than any of us and pushing the writ pushing the writers to accommodate our tracks wouldn't have been a wise idea.
They now have more characters to play with. Acting is my passion and I want to be creatively satisfied."

The actor says this is his longest stint on a daily soap. “The production house is very organised and we never had to do overtime. Even the younger lot that joined us worked sincerely towards making the show a success," says he.

Ask him about Smita quitting the show at the same time and Anup says, “That's a surprising coincidence. I keep telling her jokingly that I won't work with her again as we won't have anything new to offer to the viewers."