It is not easy to make it big in this industry without a Godfather or comment-worthy work backing you up. Well-aware of the workings of this universe, Anshuman Pushkar who rose to fame with Disney+ Hotstar’s Grahan, was ready to bide his time for his turn in the limelight. Fresh off Jamtara, the actor was sure to be cast in similar roles as per the norm, but was pleasantly surprised when director Ranjan Chandel offered him the adaptation of Satya Vyas’ book Chaurasi. “I was nervous about pulling off the innocence of the character. Three years ago, when I was filming for Jamtara, I read a few pages of the book and loved it, but didn’t manage to finish reading it. During the lockdown when Grahan was offered to me, I reordered the book to understand Rishi Ranjan [his character],” says the actor, who is nominated in the Best Actor category for Grahan in the mid-day and Radio City OTT Awards.

While every scene was creatively satisfying, Pushkar eased into the role after the first day of the shoot. “When I checked with Ranjan sir, if I was on track, he assured me that I was the man for the job and no one else. When the show came out, people loved the character and that in a way boosted my inner confidence,” says the actor, adding that he was seeking Vyas and his brother’s reaction to his performance. “After the show launched, the first call I made to was Satya Vyas sir. The excitement he showed will forever be imprinted in my memory. And my brother, who is also my biggest critic,  was proud of me.”