#NewsBytesExclsuive: Ankur Verma undergoes rigorous martial arts training for 'Dahaad'
Actor Ankur Verma has already carved a niche for himself in the television industry. He is now ready to take over the OTT world with Amazon Prime Video's upcoming series Dahaad, co-starring Sonakshi Sinha. In an exclusive chat with NewsBytes, Verma revealed he had to undergo rigorous martial arts training for Dahaad directed by Reema Kagti and Ruchika Oberoi and co-produced by Zoya Akhtar.
How did you bag 'Dahaad'?
I got an audition call for Dahaad while I was doing TV. I went for the audition and was shortlisted, after which I had to go for the reading. When I got the call, I remember asking the casting director how many people were shortlisted for the role. There were some 30-40 people who auditioned, but only I was shortlisted for it.
How was your experience of working on 'Dahaad'?
It has been a learning curve for me to work with Sinha and the entire team of Dahaad, which marks my OTT debut. But most of my learning came from Kagti. I have seen her work and am a fan of Talaash. She (Kagti) gave me the freedom to build my character, which helped me with my performance, as well as an actor.
Your takeaways from 'Dahaad' as an artist?
Discipline is one of the key things that I have learned during the filming of Dahaad. We were being trained in martial arts for our fighting sequences, and therefore we had to be disciplined about waking up in the morning, as early as 5 am. Another thing that I learned is the importance of giving creative freedom to an actor, which Kagti taught me.
What was the most challenging part while shooting the series?
One of the most challenging parts of filming the web series was the judo and kudo-induced fight sequences. I hadn't tried these martial arts forms before; thus, I had to undergo rigorous training for them. Kuldeep Shashi, my trainer, who is one of the best in the country, trained me in such a manner that the fight appears to be flawless on the screen.
How has your journey in the industry been?
I have been very lucky, and God has also been very kind to me. My journey in the industry has been very nice. Even before I could wrap up a project, whether it was a TV show or an advertisement commercial, I would get new work. At present, I am already doing TV and Dahaad, and I have another web series coming up.
Did you face rejection in the past?
I have been through a lot of rejection. Failure and success are part and parcel of your life. I believe in enjoying small achievements rather than success and failure. If I'm auditioning for 10 projects but have been shortlisted for two or three, I see that as an achievement. If you're happy with small achievements, then neither success nor failure will impact you.
