I had a smile on my face every time Ashish Verma’s character Madhusudhan came on-screen in Atrangi Re. The actor who played Dhanush’s friend in the film was too good with his performance. Interestingly, Ashish got rave reviews even for his performance in his debut Gurgaon and Bhavesh Joshi Superhero and The Whistleblower but it’s perhaps the success of Atrangi Re which seems to be a game-changer for the actor.
Ask him if the perspective towards him has changed post this film and Ashish says,
People start to trust you a little more and they do imagine you in prominent roles in films once you have success. They feel you can deliver at a larger stage and add value to the story. So, it’s definitely reflected in the roles and scripts coming my way.
When enquired about his experience working with a director like Anand L. Rai and whether it helps when such a good director moulds an actor,
He expressed,
Anand sir is one of the best actor-handlers I know. He would play with our strengths and also mask our weaknesses. He would treat all actors equally – whether its Akshay Kumar or Sara Ali Khan or Dhanush or me. Because for him, those are all his actors. He’s almost like a father figure. It was delightful to be directed by Anand sir.
Interestingly, Ashish loves to cook and he also cooked on the set of Atrangi Re. He believes that food connects straight to people’s heart and it’s a good way to break the ice so he makes sure to cook on every set he is, whenever there’s a break. Akshay Kumar to Anand L. Rai, everyone liked the mutton and daal cooked by the actor. On work front though, he will be seen next in Homi Adajania’s series which he can’t talk much about at the moment. But it’s such a different role and he’s too excited.
Ask him if OTT as a platform is a boon for people to explore more creatively, and he says,
“We’re competing at the global level and we have access to content which is different. It’s a good position to be in, because of the exposure we are having. Something like an Atrangi Re is truly a global story. On the OTT medium, you have 8 hours to tell a story. So, the characters are well-etched. It’s a very good space to be in.”
The actor is currently also seen in Unpaused: Naya Safar on Amazon Prime which is garnering appreciation. I’m totally looking forward to what Ashish has in store next and hoping we get to see a lot more of an actor like him!