Sandeep Anand is an actor. Widely popular for his role of Billu in FIR, he is also known for his roles in the series May I Come in Madam. He debuted in 2007 in the show Sun Yaar Chill Maar. Anand is also an acclaimed theater actor and has a career of more than 13 years in the field.
A Legacy of Acting- Sandeep Anand
Interview
Questions and answers
You started acting when you were only seven. Can you tell us how it happened?
My sister was doing a play in Ujjain where they wanted two similar looking kids. So she took me and my brother. As children, we loved the environment and that was the exciting start of my journey. I have worked in several international plays in Sanskrit, even of Greek Mythology with renowned directors. I enjoyed doing it for 13 years and explored many forms of art during these.
Your role in FIR as Billu was popular and loved by people. What are the best memories that you have of that show?
It is a blessing, the amount of love the show receives even today. It was my only second show and a huge part of my life. I played several characters for a year. I noticed that in Television, one is given roles one builds up on, regardless of talent. The cast and crew of FIR was a family, playing and having fun on sets. 5 years is long enough that we built relationships on a personal level. It was an incredible show where I played so many characters.
Can you share with us the journey behind your debut in 'Sun Yaar Chill Maar'. It's been 13 years since your debut. What do you make of your journey so far?
It was my first show on television. I traveled from Ujjain to Mumbai, back in 2006. I did a makeover by buying clothes for auditions from the money I had earned from doing advertisements. My role was of an NRI from Canada. So I looked like an angrezi but I was not good in English. I knew I could still do it. I got the role off my looks and since I didn’t have many friends, I didn’t speak much. My co-stars already had some experience in acting. The creative head thought that I was under-confident. But I remember the applause I got after my first performance. That was on for 3 years and I still am in touch with some of them.
Your debut as a director for the short film 'Method Acting Ka Bhoot' won the best short film award at the International Cultural Artifact Film Festival in Pune. How did that make you feel? Tell us more about your role as a director.
This short film is very close to my heart. Following my fourth show, I wanted to branch out or switch platforms. That seemed to go nowhere. The idea happened when I was shooting for my friend Purvi’s music video where she was playing a ghost. In theatre literature, we have diagrams to describe characters and that of a ghost intrigued me. We took this idea further and tried to flesh it all out. I won’t discuss all of it but I hope y’all watch the film and get an idea yourself. Mukul Srivastav wrote the film. Since we didn’t have enough money, we applied for the film in several film-festivals where there were little to no entry-fees and ended up winning at Pune. I couldn’t attend this ceremony but was absolutely delighted. As a director, I learned teamwork, what happens off-screen.
You mentioned that 2020 is going to be an exciting year for you. As you wanted to do something beyond television. What is it that you're planning or working on currently?
I think everyone thought 2020 would be their year. Everyone is going through a hard time. I did accomplish something on a governmental level. I don’t think I have anything to announce yet. But I am always in the creative process, wanting to do something unique. Even during the lockdown, there are people creating art and hope from their homes. It wasn’t too bad for me either, since I got to spend a lot of time with my family. I also got in touch with some of my writer friends, and explored some things. And I surely want to do something unique.