Punjabi actor Anjum Batra, who has made a mark with Chamkila, says for essaying the role he totally surrendered to the ever-so-talented director Imtiaz Ali

Nonika Singh

Imtiaz Ali’s Amar Singh Chamkila is shining, and basking in the glory is not just the man at the helm and its lead actor, but also many in the supporting cast. Anjum Batra, our Punjabi man from Abohar, who plays Kesar Singh Tikki in the film, has no hesitation in admitting that Imtiaz and Diljit Dosanjh’s stardom is rubbing on to him. “I am reaping the reward of their fandom,” he says.

I was not really aware of who Kesar Singh Tikki was, so it took me a while to get into the skin of the character. I had the liberty of playing him the way I wanted to, as there are not many videos of him. Today, the commendation of his family is like a badge of honour for me. — Anjum Batra

Humility aside, Anjum sure is winning plaudits for his part of close associate of Chamkila and the biggest compliment has come from Tikki’s family, which for him is like a badge of honour. Interestingly, though hailing from Punjab, he was not clued into the life of Tikki. “The referral points were Imtiaz sir’s sterling writing.” The more he delved, the more he realised how it was not a one-note character, but one of many shades who loved Chamikla as much as he cursed him.

On Imtiaz, the director, he says, “I just surrendered to him. He is a down-to-earth director who not only knows what he wants from his actors, but is indulgent to a point of spoiling you forever. On the sets, there is no distinction between a lead and a minor actor.” Of all the lessons he has learnt from the gifted director, this ‘ability to treat everyone equally’ stands above all.

As for the celebrated co-actor Diljit, he divulges a secret. “Before the director calls out action, he is always busy chanting Wahe Guru and Om Namah Shivay. It is so humbling to watch such a big star connecting with divinity.”

Atrangi co-stars

He is equally enamoured by the lead and co-star of Maamla Legal Hai, Ravi Kishan. But, yes, when he signed the series, he was a tad nervous before meeting this legend, ‘a man with 700 films behind him, a shining political career and more’. But a few minutes into a conversation with the Bhojpuri superstar, ‘a jovial, dil phaink person and spontaneous actor’ put him at absolute ease. Even otherwise, the makers, including the director Rahul Pandey of Maamla Legal Hai, ensured making of the series was as much fun and frolic. He says, “They are as atrangi as the show is. And when the set itself is a playground, vibe does get translated on to the screen too.”

Life as it comes

Anjum does not believe in making any plans, but lets the Almighty decide the flow. Today as the series, Maamla Legal Hai, has been renewed for the second season, he is keeping his fingers crossed and hopes he will get to reprise his part.

Playing a turbaned Sikh, also in some episodes of Crime Patrol and Kabir Khan’s ’83, comes naturally to this Bhangra expert.

Soon, we will see him once again don the turban in the Netflix film Wild Wild Punjab, which is to be produced by Luv Ranjan. To aspiring actors, this alumnus of the Department of Indian Theatre, Panjab University, Chandigarh, has only one-word advice — patience.

Worth its while

Coming from a farming background, he knows, ‘no seed bears fruit overnight’. For him too it has been a long wait since he made his foray into the entertainment industry way back in 2008 with Dev D. But all the wait has certainly been worth its while.

Watch out for the actor who learnt the ropes in Chandigarh and to which he returns each year almost like a ritual, reliving the days when they would perform impromptu at Student’s Centre. Today, insecurity does not plague him as his confidence comes from starting at ground zero from where you can only go up and up!