EXCLUSIVE | Actor Anshumaan Pushkar on the OTT revolution: 'Nobody knew Vijay Varma before Netflix's She but...'

ZEE5 has launched Satrangi - Badle Ka Khel, a Hindi original drama series set in the feudal landscape of rural Uttar Pradesh, starring Anshumaan Pushkar, Kumud Mishra, and Mahvash. Directed by Jai Basantu Singh and produced by RND Film LLP, the series will premiere on 22nd May.

Satrangi - Badle Ka khel follows Bablu Mahto (played by Anshumaan Pushkar), a young man raised in the shadows of humiliation and silence as the son of a Launda Naach performer. Growing up in a feudal world divided by caste and power, Bablu learns that survival lies not in strength, but in understanding how power moves.

Living a double life as Bablu and Lalli, he begins to navigate two opposing worlds, one of control and one of performance, as he carefully sets into motion a dangerous game between two dominant families, the Singhs and the Pandeys. What begins as revenge soon turns into a larger battle for dignity, access, and control.

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In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, Anshumaan and Mahvash spoke about delving into the world of the show, their respective characters, and the rise of the OTT platform in the last six years.

Edited excerpt from the interview

The trailer is very intriguing. What was your reaction when you read the script for the first time? How did you prepare for your character?

Anshumaan Pushkar

This is a world which can be described as niche. This is a world that talks about Launda Naach. My character has come from a very downtrodden society filled with injustice. This is a story set against the backdrop of Uttar Pradesh, but the feudal system of the society is tormenting people in many cities.

He wanted to be something else, but circumstances forced him to become a Launda Naach just like his father. I had a range of emotions for this character. There is somebody in our show called Rakesh, who has been a Launda Naach performer himself and is an actor today. I spent a lot of time with him to understand the basics of the character.

Mahvash

I have heard about this culture since I come from UP. I relate to my character Aarti on one aspect that it becomes easy for you to fight the entire world. But it becomes really difficult when you have to fight your own people. She somebody who’s struggling between family and love. My dialect in the show is almost the same. We don’t get to do something that has the possibility to change cinema and society. But this show was a great opportunity for me.

Anshumaan, what do you have to say about the experience of working with all the actors? Because this is a very interesting ensemble.

I did a couple of series when I graduated from theatre but I didn’t feel I was a part of cinema. But during this show, while working with everybody, I did not feel I was looking at a person, I thought I was looking at a character. We have seen Kumud Mushra and admire him. Every actor was performing as if it was theatre, and supporting each other. The director was ready for all kinds of improvisations and changes. Quentin Tarantino once said your script is your first draft and your edit is your last draft. And a lot of changes happen in between.

Mahvash, what would you like to say about your experience of working with the entire team? And if something that you would like to share about your shooting experiences.

Working with such good actors was such a great opportunity for me. They are not only good actors, but also very funny. We have different memories for every scene, especially with Kumud sir. Once the Director said cut, he was in a completely different zone. He never makes you feel that he’s a senior actor. He never carries that burden. He used to make me feel like his real daughter.

Anshumaan, the OTT revolution is something we all have observed. So many actors have finally got the opportunities they always deserved. What do you have to say about this change?

The understanding of cinema has definitely changed after the pandemic, because we have explored the entire world. The OTT Revolution is truly like a blessing. The realism in storytelling is something that people have finally begun to understand. There was a time we used to watch similar kinds of movies- stories about the upper echelons, particularly the culture of Delhi and Punjab. But now we get to see the stories of heartland.

Who were the actors that really inspired you to be in front of the camera?

I come from a village, but people in my family loved watching movies. I wanted to be a cricketer, but unfortunately things did not fall in place. But there was some connect I felt with Movies. I have performed a lot on stage in my Village. As far as actors are concerned, Raj Kapoor and Balraj Sahni were loved by my father and uncle. Any actor who is performing a character with his heart is my favorite actor.

Today, we get to hear names. You could never imagine hearing many years ago. Take the example of Vijay Verma. Nobody knew him before She, but today he is a mainstream actor. Everybody knows the names of Irrfan Khan and Manoj Bajpayee. There are a lot of unknown actors in this series that will surprise you. One of them is an actor called Raman. And then there are names like Saddam, Aamir, Satish.