In Bed With Anshumaan Pushkar: “I truly believe UFOs exist!”

The first time Anshumaan Pushkar got a whiff of his inclination for histrionics was when he played Narad Muni for a theatre production in his village. A far cry from the expletive-spewing phisher that he recently played in Jamtaara, and his vivid portrayal of a violent, disillusioned lover in Grahan.

Anshumaan has a natural propensity for close-to-life roles but he isn’t wary of exploring glamorous roles either. In his deep baritone, he admits, “Iccha toh hoti hai ki I attempt a role that demands I look my best.”

Encouraged by the response to the collage of tender moments in Grahan, Anshumaan would love to do a full-fledged romantic role. But, for now, he has been pencilled in for two gritty web series—Season 2 of Jamtaara and Country Mafia.

List three things that nobody knows about you.

1. The first English films I saw were Speed and Broken Arrow back to back on the VCR.

2. When I was in class 8, I had a crush on Urmila Matondkar.

3. I acknowledge the existence of supernatural entities like UFOs, but realise they don’t affect us because they inhabit an entirely different world. 

How long can you sleep for?

For 15 hours at a stretch! I can happily postpone minor chores if I get the chance to nap.

Any night-time prayer?

I am not very religious, but there’s a small mandir at home where I bow my head, do pranaam, thank God for blessing me with a good day, and pray for a good night’s sleep.

Describe yourself in a hashtag.

Earlier, I would have said #Fighter as I was preparing to tackle the ups and downs in life. Today, I’m seeing things anew, so #Explorer would be more apt.

Bedside stories

Can you sleep next to a snorer?

Never! I would move to another room.

What do you raid your fridge for at midnight?

I gravitate towards bread and butter.

What do you wear to bed?

Shorts and T-shirt. Always.

What do you read in bed?

Of late, I’ve developed a keen interest in Hindi literature and poetry.

Who do you think has bedroom eyes?

Anne Hathaway.

This or that?

Sports bike or car?

Car. Sports bikes have been my passion but a car is a necessity for me today to travel to shoots. Necessity wins over love (laughs).

Madonna or Michael Jackson?

Michael Jackson any time! He’s the first international star who impressed me.

Biryani or dal chawal?

Dal chawal. I can’t have biryani every day, but I can eat dal chawal daily.

From HT Brunch, November 14, 2021

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*** This article has been archived for your research. The original version from Hindustan Times can be found here ***