Pranav Birje | Senior Correspondent
Shashank Arora is the new-age protagonist who is tapping into the never-seen-before shades of Indian cinema. In 2014, he stepped into the neo-noir crime thriller ‘Titli’, and entered a completely new genre of crime and grime! Calling it “tough”, Shashank shared that the difficulty was not much in the mindset, but it was in creating the body language and motives that stemmed from its experiences.
“Workshops were what really helped me, and my prior training has thankfully made me vulnerable enough to play the part. Atul Mongia, who does the workshops, is a genius. All the other credit goes to my acting professor, Rob Reece, who taught me all the craft I know,” shared Shashank on ‘Titli’.
Later, Shashank Arora starred in the iconic film ‘Rock On 2’ and made the most out of his opportunity. Despite starring alongside Farhan Akhtar and Arjun Rampal, Shashank Arora left an impact even though he had a limited space to grow. Speaking about the film, Shashank said, “I played a classically trained musician. I played the sarod and a bit of the bass guitar. Characters that are closer to you are tricky as well because one tends to get lazy in their portrayal. But the character in ‘Rock On 2’ was quite far from me as well. Banarasi sarod player who is trying to make it into the music industry, but definitely not as complex as Titli.”
Shashank Arora is currently basking in the positive response to his latest theatrical release ‘Superboys Of Malegaon’. The actor plays the role of a small-town dreamer who aspires and defines loyalty in friendship. “What brought me to Malegaon are people who value stories and feelings over money and a bunch of friends who put everything on the line to make a film. That’s what brought me to Malegaon. My reaction to what you call this ‘bizarre breeding ground of filmmaking’ is the same when I look at Mumbai, which might seem different to those who live here, but is actually a more bizarre breeding ground,” shared Shashank.
Additionally, he also revealed that he had to work with restrictions in the film. “With any character which actually existed, you have a tighter parameter. My director, Reema Kagti, gives a balance of instructions and freedom. It’s up to the actor to make use of them,” he added. Shashank shared the screen space with Vineet Kumar Singh and Adarsh Gourav and called them the “finest actors” in the country. “The journey so far has not been easy for me. I knew nobody when I got here. But Kamal Hassan recently called me his favourite actor so I guess it’s going well,” he concluded.
Shashank Arora chooses his films briefly and carefully, and whenever he does, he ensures to serve perfection and depth. His filmography is proof that he’s a rare actor who brings life to roles and stories that are substantial and impactful. Now that he’s winning hearts with ‘Superboys Of Malegaon’, the audiences are eagerly waiting for his next release!