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.

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.”

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.