Ankit Rathi- “My only plan is to do good and entertaining work”

900 auditions, two movies and several commercials later, Ankit Rathi will now be seen playing the lead role in Bolo Hau. Having made his acting debut with Fukrey and later in Rohit Shetty’s Singham 2, Ankit has had a tough but lucrative journey so far. The actor is now all geared up for the theatrical release of Bolo Hau, a Hindi Feature film where he plays the lead role of a Hyderabadi local opposite debutant Jhanvi Dharanjgir that will hit screens today. Hashtag Magazine gets you an exclusive…

Your movie Bolo Hau is all set for a theatrical release…you must be excited to be on big screen after a long hiatus. Tell us a little more about this project.

Yes, I’m very much excited for Bolo Haus theatrical release.  Bolo Hau is a rom-com with a Hyderabadi tadka. The film is a complete package of action, drama, romance and comedy. The songs are beautifully written and narrate the story well. I hope people will enjoy the film in the theatres.

This movie also marks the launch of Janhavi Dharanjgir by her father Tarun wielding the directorial baton for the film. What got you to sign this film, what is your equation with both?

Yes, it’s Janhavi’s debut film. I think the father-daughter duo is amazing. I don’t think as an outsider you get to choose the project, it’s the other way around where the project choses me. My job is to do justice with the character I am portraying and work. 

You have made small but progressive steps in the Hindi industry. You have also shared how you auditioned over 900 times for your roles this far, do you think this project will give you the big break that you are looking for?

For an outsider like me, it’s not about one big break; it’s about 50 breaks. I am happy with the way my career is progressing, be it a small promo with Amitabh Bachachan or Farhan Akhtar’s 3 Storeys. It’s the journey and I am content with where I am at the same time dreaming to achieve a step above. 

Bolo Hau is a love story with a Hyderabadi flavour; tell us a little about the prep that went behind the scenes. Getting the Hyderabadi dialect would have quite a challenging task.

I think the major part of my prep was focused on getting the Hyderabadi dialect right. Also, as I was getting familiar with the culture and the people of Hyderabad, I was moving closer to my character Salman.

You have worked with diverse actors like Richa Chadha, Pulkit Samrat, Kareena Kapoor and Ajay Devgn in the past, what have been your biggest lessons learnt on these sets?

I think working with actors like Richa Chadha, Pulkit Samrat, Kareena Kapoor and Ajay Devgan helped me understand the amount of hard work, patience and dedication that goes into making a film. Also, just being around them helps you learn a lot. They are all very supportive and the constant encouragement helps a lot.

OTT has opened up a world of options for several stars, are you looking at any such projects? Any future plans and projects?

Yes, of course. OTT platforms have opened a world of possibilities and they are constantly coming up with good stories and concepts. I have always wanted to be a part of some good stories so I would definitely want to be a part of different genres that OTT can offer. The only plan is to do good and entertaining work. I would love to work with directors like Imtiaz Ali, Farhan Akhtar and Anurag Kashyap.