Ayushmann Khurrana, who completed a decade in the film industry this week with the anniversary of Vicky Donor (2012), is all set to play an undercover cop in the political action thriller Anek (2022), directed by Anubhav Sinha.
Khurrana spoke about his latest character Joshua, saying, “This is the first time the audience will see me in this avatar. I have played a cop before but this is the first time they will see me going undercover. Joshua is street smart and intelligent. He knows his way around people and can fight bad guys not only in a physical capacity but also with his great intellect. I was very pumped to try my hands at portraying Joshua as it gave me an opportunity to explore something I hadn’t done before. I owe it to my audience to offer them new experiences with each film.”
The actor, who worked with Sinha in Article 15 (2019), said, “As an undercover cop, Joshua has the perfect traits of a spy and I had to work on my physical and mental skills to portray that. Right from his observation skills to his ability to combat the enemy, the character's journey keeps one intrigued and gripped throughout. Also, the action sequences had to look real and raw to fit into the world of Anek and to portray what Anubhav had envisioned, I was inscribed with the right amount of guidance and training.”
Producer and director Sinha added, “I am excited about Anek’s release as it has a lot in store for the audience. Ayushmann has put everything into portraying Joshua. There is no one else who could have done it better than him. Not only is he a great actor but he was pretty dauntless when it came to performing action as an undercover cop in the film.”
The film, which has been shot in the Northeast, was wrapped up last March. It has seen several delays as the Indian film industry is attempting to get back on its feet with a crowded film calendar for much of the year.
According to the makers, Anek is said to be a political action thriller that poses a question about what it truly takes to be an Indian and how one man is on a mission to unite the nation!
Produced by Bhushan Kumar’s T-Series and Sinha's Benaras Mediaworks, Anek is due to be released theatrically on 27 May.