When the show gets bigger

Amarjot Kaur

With a 10-year-long, ongoing, career as a radio jockey, the jack of all trades Abhilash Thapliyal has fearlessly dabbled in many fields - be it acting, Bollywood, TV and YouTube; or anchoring shows like World Kabbadi League, F1 and IPL. A livewire with the GIMA Red Carpet (2016), Ghanta Awards (2016) and India Film Project (2016), Abhilash is at heart still a simple Delhi boy, who has been looking to carve a possible career in the entertainment industry.

Little did he know that an interview with actors and director of Bollywood film Tevar (2015) would build a bridge connecting his dreams with reality - an opportunity that would bring him into the spotlight!

First take

On a regular day at his job as RJ Dabangg Abhilash, an opportunity knocked on his doors and entered through the recording studio. “The actors and director Amit Sharma had come to promote their film, and while interviewing them I pulled out an act, Mufflerman, from the online series that I do, which impressed Amit ji. He gave me his number and asked me to call him when I come to Mumbai,” says Abhilash, who is now an RJ in Mumbai. What followed later would possibly be a ‘relatable’ story, at least the starting, to the working-class heroes, “I felt a little stagnated in my job back in Delhi. So, I felt the need to shift and if one has to do something in the entertainment industry, Mumbai is the place to be,” says Abhilash.

A year and three months ago, he moved to Mumbai and did what he was asked to do. “I called Amit ji in July 2016 and a month or two later, he rang me up asking me if I had a passport as a friend of his was directing a movie in which I would fit perfectly. I asked him if I needed to audition for the role, but he assured that everything was final and that I should visit Pooja Films, where the film was to be shot. The film is called Makhna and I will be acting opposite Tapsee Pannu and Saqib Saleem,” he adds.

Shoot time

Abhilash had an interesting equation with the camera while shooting, “I couldn’t understand if I was being shot or not. It was then that Tapsee gave me a valuable tip — ‘If you can see the camera, the camera can see you.” Besides, he will be seen playing the role of a Delhi boy in the film, which he shares came naturally to him. “I play the role of a man who wants to become a rich realtor. I have seen many people like this character, some of them who have even been my friends,” he says.

Though Abhilash enjoyed his stint with acting, he doesn’t hang too many hopes to his future after the film releases for he’d always have radio to fall back on. He is quite hungry for appreciation though, “I can’t really tell what I love doing, but I love to do what gives me maximum appreciation and little money,” he quips.

amarjot@tribunemail.com