UNPREDICTABLE actor Annkit Bhatia is currently playing the antagonist on popular daily drama serial Bhagyalaxmi and is really enjoying the challenge. This continues on from other interesting characters for a rising star with an impressive screen presence.
Eastern Eye caught up with Annkit to discuss his acting journey, latest project, future hopes, favourite shows and working during a pandemic.
What first connected you to acting?
I connected with acting for the first time when I had to perform in a play, when I was in the fifth or sixth standard. That was the first time when I realised acting is my calling and since then there’s been no looking back. Acting has been my first priority ever since.
Which of your acting projects has been close to your heart?
All About Section 377 is the closest to my heart because that was the project through which I got a chance to face the camera for the very first time. So that project will always remain closest to my heart.
Tell us something about your latest project?
I am doing a show called Bhagyalaxmi, wherein I am playing the antagonist. The character has his own journey and a lot of layers.
How do you approach playing a negative role?
While doing a negative role, you have to understand the psychological background of the character. And this character is the one that an actor would find creatively satisfying if he justifies it on screen. This character is like an open canvas on which I have the liberty to paint the way I want.
What is it like working during a pandemic?
I just have one word – gratitude! Because you are getting work even amid the pandemic. I know that the work is less, and we have to be prudent about a lot of things. But once the camera starts rolling, we are back to where we were. And I have always believed in ‘the show must go on’.
What kind of content do you enjoy watching as an audience member?
I love watching crime dramas on Netflix. My most favourite series is Breaking Bad. I also saw Andekhi on Sony Liv, which I loved thoroughly, and it is also one of the most underrated series. There are a couple of other web-series like Gullak. It is a mini-series full of family drama. I also love watching south Indian movies, because I love observing their direction, and action. Apart from Bollywood and Hollywood, I love the south Indian films as I love the way they make their films.
What would be your dream role?
There are a lot of roles that an actor would want to do. I recently saw Haseen Dillruba and would love to play Vikrant Massey’s character from the film, as it had a lot of layers. The character was an amalgamation of love, drama, insecurity, and grey shades.
Who would you love to work with?
Undoubtedly, Manoj Bajpayee and Pankaj Tripathi.
What do you love about being an actor?
The fact that you get to live new characters. It isn’t monotonous like some other job. Here you get to do something new every day.
The actress defended her claim that acting demands more than desk jobs in a recent interview.
She said office workers can "chill out" during work hours, unlike film stars.
Fans and working professionals called her comments privileged and out of touch.
The backlash started after her appearance on Amazon Prime's Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle.
Critics pointed out the financial gap and support systems actors have compared to regular employees.
Kajol probably didn't expect this reaction when she sat down with Twinkle Khanna on Two Much. But her comments about actors working harder than people with 9-to-5 jobs have blown up, and not in a good way.
Fans slam Kajol after she says actors work harder than regular employees sparking online outrage Getty Images
The comments that started it all
Kajol was speaking out about her earlier comments on Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle on Amazon Prime, where she said actors work harder than most people. This time she was explaining why she thinks that.
She told The Hollywood Reporter India that her days are full of shoots, events, and very early flights. One day involved waking at 5 AM to catch a flight to Jaipur for a 3 PM event.
But it was her take on regular jobs that got people talking. She claimed desk workers don't need to be "100% present" and can take breaks, "chill out," and relax while working. She kept coming back to the unending scrutiny actors face like the feeling of always being watched or something as simple as how you cross your legs or who's snapping a picture in the background becomes a constant calculation. You have to be switched on, she insisted, all the time.
The internet, frankly, was having none of it. YouTube and Reddit exploded with responses. "For the kind of remuneration actors are paid, they shouldn't have a problem working 12 hours a day for 4 days a week," one user wrote. Another pointed out that films typically take 3-4 months to shoot, while regular jobs run year-round.
The responses got more pointed. "Vanity mein naps or massages bhi toh hum lete hain," a Reddit user commented, referencing the comfort of vanity vans. Someone else joked: "If you work poorly, you get fired. If you act poorly, you get a Filmfare award."
The bluntest response yet? "Respectfully, Kajol, shut up."
Nobody denies acting is demanding. Long hours, public pressure, and constant judgement are very real. But comparing it to regular employment ignores some major differences.
Most people work 12 months a year with two weeks' holiday if they're lucky. They don't have spot boys fetching drinks or vanity vans for rest breaks. One netizen nailed it: "A working parent's schedule is continuous, every single day, with no wrap-up party or off-season."
Online erupts as Kajol defends claim that acting demands more than everyday 9-to-5 workGetty Images
There's also the money. While her fee for a single film is probably more than most people earn in a year, she says that doesn’t make the work easy. Still, it does provide a comfort that regular employees don’t have. Kajol has not yet replied to the backlash.
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