For Sudhanshu Pandey, grey and negative roles offer a creative high that straightforward characters often cannot. “There is always a lot more to do in a negative character because obviously it is not tailor-made. There is so much you can do. You can get into different mindsets… you can be eccentric, you can change your body language, change your speech… it offers a lot more scope to be able to perform and create something new.”

He adds, “I’m not saying that I only want to play negative characters. I’ve done so many positive roles too. Actually, today it’s not about the hero and the villain; it’s about playing characters, as long as that character has some substance.”

The Anupamaa actor went through a rough patch and, drawing inspiration from his own life, says he would like to explore darker roles. “I have been through a period in my life when I was in a dark space. I had a panic attack and was dealing with it for four years. I pulled myself out of it. I don’t mind playing a role inspired by a Hollywood film like Joker. On the contrary, I would love to do comedy. I don’t have any definitions for myself; I’m ready to experiment with anything as a character,” he shares.

Reflecting on his TV journey — currently seen in Do Duniya Ek Dil — Sudhanshu says, “My first-ever daily show was Anupamaa … four years I invested in it. It was worth its while because people loved my character. When a character becomes as immortalized as that, it is bound to leave an impact. It is very difficult to remove them from people’s hearts, and going ahead, I would like to be part of more such roles that stay with the audience.”

Sudhanshu Pandey recently posed for a special Maha Shivratri photoshoot, appearing in the striking Ardhanari avatar — a symbolic representation embodying both Shiva and Shakti. Reflecting on the experience, the actor describes it as nothing short of surreal.

Speaking about how the concept came to life, he shares that the idea was suggested by a makeup artist. “Everybody knows my association with Lord Shiva. I had completely surrendered myself to Mahakal,” he says.

Recalling his reaction during the transformation, he adds, “We began with the Shakti makeup. When she started working on my eyeliner, eyebrows, and eyelashes, I said, ‘My God, I’m falling in love with myself.’”

When asked whether he felt any hesitation about embracing a feminine form, he says, “Not at all. I believe it takes courage to own that side. I am an actor, and portraying diverse characters is part of my journey. But this was different — I was creating Shiv Shakti. For someone who has surrendered to him, it was perhaps the greatest honour. I was simply nervous, hoping everything would turn out well.”

Despite his deep connection with Shiva, he reveals that he has consistently turned down offers to portray the deity on screen. “I never wanted to play Shiva because he is someone I have surrendered to. I’ve been offered the role countless times, but I always declined. I don’t have the guts to play you,” he explains.

Will this photoshoot change his decision? Pandey remains firm. “No, it won’t. This was purely a tribute from a small being created by him — someone completely surrendered. That was my offering, and perhaps that is part of my bhakti,” he signs off.

In a surprising turn of events, Sudhanshu Pandey, popularly known as Vanraj Shah from Anupamaa, announced his departure from the TV show during a live Instagram session. He revealed he hadn’t shot for the daily soap since Raksha Bandhan.

Reflecting on his sudden exit from the show after four years, in an exclusive chat with Bombay Times, Sudhanshu says, “I felt it was time to move on. There can be many reasons, but dwelling on them feels like taking a step back. All I want to say is that my journey as Vanraj Shah has been incredibly rewarding. I have received immense love and an equal measure of hate from the audience, and the latter makes me believe I did justice to the character.”

Ever since Sudhanshu announced his exit from the family drama, rumours have swirled that he was forced out. Addressing the buzz, he says, “Whenever something like this happens, stories inevitably start to build around it. I choose not to add fuel to the fire because I have always conducted myself with integrity and dignity. I believe everyone has their perspective, which can lead to conflicts, and I prefer to avoid that.”

He adds, “I have surrendered to Mahakaal and have always believed that He guides me in all my decisions, whether they happen suddenly or are pre-planned. This decision has been sudden. It came unexpectedly and I had to make a choice for reasons of my own. However, everything is positive; my mind is at peace, and I am happy. I see this as a blessing, perhaps the beginning of many more blessings to come.”

Many feel that his character has run its course. Did his decision to quit the show stem from that perspective? “Vanraj Shah is way too strong a character to fade out even if he doesn’t get the footage he deserves for a while. So, I never bothered about the arc or graph of my character. The only thing that could worry me was if I was shooting for fewer days, then obviously, one make lesser money (laughs!). I have given the character my all and always strived to make it interesting,” he replies.

As far as the possibility of returning to Anupamaa, given that actors often reconcile with makers and return to their shows, Sudhanshu is clear. “I don’t think that’s going to happen. When you decide to move on, looking back can cause you to stumble. I would rather keep moving forward. Once I say I’ve moved on, I mean it,” he asserts.

There’s been speculation about a fallout between him and Rajan Shahi, the producer of the show. Ask him about it, and Sudhanshu says, “Rajan is an old friend, and our relationship has always been like that of two brothers. We worked together back when he was starting as a director, long before he became a producer. From my side, nothing has changed in our equation. However, everyone makes their own decisions about how they choose to be with the other person. I have no hard feelings towards anyone.”

Sudhanshu admits he will miss the character, but is excited about what lies ahead. “It’s natural to miss Vanraj, but as an actor, I crave the opportunity to explore new roles and experiment. I dedicated four years to Vanraj, and while I will always cherish that time, I know I have so much more to offer as an actor. I hope to create more memorable characters like Vanraj,” he says.

Sudhanshu Pandey has become popular as Vanraj Shah in Anupamaa, but recently there were rumours of him quitting the show. Ask Sudhanshu and he says, “There is no question of me quitting Anupamaa. I had gone for a holiday with my family to Dubai after a year-and-a-half. Soon after that, I went to Rajasthan to shoot for an OTT project. I guess because of this people presumed that I was planning to quit and yes, the rumour spread like wildfire. My character Vanraj Shah was the hero of the show and will remain the hero.”

Ever since Gaurav Khanna has entered the show and taken over in the show’s storyline, there has been news suggesting ego clashes among the leads and Sudhanshu not being happy with the development. 

However, he clarifies, “Firstly, people need to understand, that you can’t keep running the show with just one storyline. Earlier, too, Apurva Agnihotri was roped in for some time. It is a daily soap which, if it needs to run for years, can’t be showing the same faces on a daily basis. As far as insecurity is concerned, I have been in the industry for long enough and have done enough work — insecurity doesn’t figure in my scheme of things! Not many know that Rajan (Shahi, producer), who is an old friend of mine, came to me with the show before he had finalised it with the channel. He even told that only if I said yes, would he make the show. So all this means a lot.”

Indian television has grown by leaps and bounds over the past two decades and is one of the biggest entertainment industries today. In recent years, many award functions have been organised to honour members of the fraternity. But Sudhanshu Pandey has a bigger dream for the small screen and he now wants to work in the direction of fulfilling it. He strongly feels that there should be National Awards for television too, just like films. To take this thought ahead, he plans to launch a campaign to garner support from various quarters, and eventually, approach government officials.

The actor says, “This has been on my mind for a while now and some time ago, I decided to work on it. I have shot a couple of videos, and I hope to spread awareness about this initiative — ‘National Awards For Indian Television’. Today, social media can be a very effective tool to put your ideas across.”

Sudhanshu says, “I’ve been discussing this with people from the industry, and I am sure they are going to support me in it.” Ask him about the inception of this idea, and he says, “I started my career with television in 1998 when I did a show for B R Chopra. Sometime later, I got into films and continued with that and also did web shows. TV happened to me again last year, when producer Rajan Shahi, who’s a friend, offered me Anupamaa, saying he could not see any other actor in that role. That’s when it all began.”

It was during the first lockdown that this thought came to him. “We shot for Anupamaa for a week in March 2020, and the lockdown was announced. During the lockdown, I watched many television shows and got a good understanding of the industry. I realised how television is the most powerful, impactful and influential industry today. In June 2020, we started shooting for our show again, and I have been shooting non-stop since then. The response and the appreciation that I have got for my role is unbelievable. That’s the reach of TV,” says Sudhanshu, further emphasising the need to motivate TV actors, technicians and everyone associated with the medium, so that they keep churning a lot more and better content.

He says, “Television has not got the recognition that it deserves. It’s the only industry that runs 24/7 and 365 days a year. Throughout the pandemic, too, except for a few months, work didn’t stop here. People across all channels, production houses worked relentlessly to provide viewers their daily dose of entertainment. I think their work deserves to be considered for the National Awards. It’s a dream that I have seen, but I want to fulfil it for all of us.”

Reports are doing the rounds of how all is not well between Anupamaa’s lead actors, Sudhanshu Pandey and Rupali Ganguly. There are rumours of how two groups have been formed on the sets — Rupali with Alpana Buch, Aashish Mehrotra and Muskan Bamne, while the other side has Sudhanshu, Madalsa Sharma, Paras Kalnawat and Anagha Bhosle. Recently, when Sudhanshu posted a promo of the show on his Instagram handle, he untagged Rupali in it. This led to further gossip about tension between the two.

We reached out to Sudhanshu and he said, “These are such silly things that people create. I don’t understand how their minds work. How will I achieve anything in my career by untagging someone? Generally, the practice is to tag people who are associated with the picture and I often copy-paste the link I get from someone on my social media. When the show started, Rupali and I posted many videos together because we were married in the show. Now, I am married to Kavya (Madalsa Sharma), so obviously, we will post videos together to promote the track,” says the actor.

He adds, “Rupali and I are good co-actors and friends, too. There is nothing wrong between us. And a difference of opinion between two actors at times is very normal and can happen any day. There are so many times when you don’t agree on something and get a little upset, but then it is over. And that does not only happen with actors working on the sets, it also happens between two individuals at home. Rift or cold war are too strong words to use.”

Sudhanshu shares how he has many years of experience behind him and has never given any importance to baseless rumours. He says, “I have been around for a long time and worked in 41 films, till now. I have also worked opposite Bollywood actresses, so I will never get into frivolous matters. The title of the show is Anupamaa, but the show revolves around the husband, wife and his lover. It is the story of a family. So, it is normal for people to jump to assumptions around what happens behind the scenes.”

Rupali Ganguly, however, was not available for comment.

That TV content has been labelled regressive isn’t something new. Actor Sudhanshu Pandey agrees that it’s been happening for a while now, but he sees a ray of hope. “Things are progressing, but slowly. This change can’t happen overnight,” he opines.

In fact, this is the sole reason the actor himself stayed away from television. “There’s still a spillover of that regression in many shows, but I think the change is inevitable and we can see that happening with the kind of content coming up. In today’s time, content from all over the world is accessible with just a push of a button, so why would viewers settle for something that’s not good enough?” he reasons.

He goes on to say, “We’ve to keep telling relevant stories. If we’re stuck to the same old thing because it did well earlier, now, when our thoughts have evolved, those will obviously seem regressive. TV has immense reach and the power to influence minds... it should be used wisely.”

Having garnered praise with over 40 films in his career, Pandey, 46, confesses that the kind of feedback he’s getting for his TV show is “unfathomable”.

Talk of long-format shows that run for years and how they tend to get monotonous, Pandey says when a show is on air for so long with the same cast, team and subject, it becomes “creatively impossible to be able to bring variety for that long, as everything has a limit”. However, he’s quick to add that he’ll continue with his television stint as long as his show is doing well and he’s satisfied creatively. “But, it won’t be for very long, because I’d definitely not like monotony. I’ll take time out for web and films, too,” he says.

Actor Sudhanshu Pandey, who’s seen having an extramarital affair in the show Anupamaa, has been receiving hate messages on his social media handles. “It is good to know that people hate my character so much, but getting messages like ‘I will chop you into pieces and give them to the dogs’ is too much. It plays on your mind,” he says, adding, “We Indians really drive high on emotions and that is why they, probably, hate me so much, which is a compliment to the actor in me. But the character that I play in the serial is the opposite of who I am in real life. Initially, I was unable to say all those mean dialogues to Rupali (Ganguly), who plays my wife in the serial. Since these things were constantly on my mind, I was toying with the idea of releasing a video online to tell people that I am not like this in real life.”

On the personal front, Sudhanshu has been married for more than two decades now. “Just like every husband, I am scared of my wife, too. I am not like my character Vanraj, who doesn’t fear his wife. In fact, even my wife Mona has told me twice that she hates me because of what I do with my wife on screen, so you can imagine how much hatred I have received from people around me!” he signs off.