Sudhanshu Pandey: Today it’s not about the hero and the villain; it’s about playing characters

For Sudhanshu Pandey, grey and negative roles offer a creative high that straightforward characters often cannot. “There is always a lot more to do in a negative character because obviously it is not tailor-made. There is so much you can do. You can get into different mindsets… you can be eccentric, you can change your body language, change your speech… it offers a lot more scope to be able to perform and create something new.”
He adds, “I’m not saying that I only want to play negative characters. I’ve done so many positive roles too. Actually, today it’s not about the hero and the villain; it’s about playing characters, as long as that character has some substance.”

The Anupamaa actor went through a rough patch and, drawing inspiration from his own life, says he would like to explore darker roles. “I have been through a period in my life when I was in a dark space. I had a panic attack and was dealing with it for four years. I pulled myself out of it. I don’t mind playing a role inspired by a Hollywood film like Joker. On the contrary, I would love to do comedy. I don’t have any definitions for myself; I’m ready to experiment with anything as a character,” he shares.

Reflecting on his TV journey — currently seen in Do Duniya Ek Dil — Sudhanshu says, “My first-ever daily show was Anupamaa … four years I invested in it. It was worth its while because people loved my character. When a character becomes as immortalised as that, it is bound to leave an impact. It is very difficult to remove them from people’s hearts, and going ahead, I would like to be part of more such roles that stay with the audience.”