It was like we were playing a cricket match, says Danish Iqbal on the making of Aranyak

Actor, theatre practitioner, academician — Danish Iqbal has worn many hats. His latest outing, the Netflix crime thriller Aranyak (2021), starring Raveena Tandon, Parambrata Chatterjee and Ashutosh Rana, sees him playing a cafe owner, Govind.

In an exclusive conversation with Cinestaan.com, the actor spoke of his beginnings and the experience of shooting for the web-series. “I started my journey with theatre at a young age," he said. "When you have been immersed in theatre for so long, it becomes part of you and does not feel like work.

"Till the age of eight, I used to stammer and would not be able to even take my name. That was torture because people used to make fun of me.” His mother enrolled him in theatre classes in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, and life changed. “I am really grateful to theatre that I found my voice and became a voice and speech teacher!” he said.

As an alumnus of the National School of Drama (NSD) in Delhi, Danish Iqbal veered towards professional theatre instead of the film industry. “I did not have the patience to struggle in the film or television industry," he admitted, "because from day one I wanted to work.” But film opportunities eventually came knocking on his door and the actor has been a part of short films, features such as Michael Winterbottom’s A Mighty Heart (2007) and series such as Mira Nair’s A Suitable Boy (2020).

Speaking about his latest series Aranyak and the experience of working with well-known artistes, he said, “I used to do a lot of auditions and somehow cracked this one. There were so many big names in the production and the script was very interesting. Govind [his character] comes and goes in the series. I felt that the character’s graph should be visible and I was really scared and also excited about the role.

"The director, Vinay Waikul, really gives a lot of support to his actors. When you work with such directors, you feel like a family and get a lot of comfort where you can ask your director whether the performance is coming through."

The actor said everyone was focused on doing well and working hard. "The climate was challenging," he remembered. "It was very cold and we had many night shoots; all these things were there, but it was like we were playing a cricket match. Each person, whether it was the spot boy or from any other department, we were all working as a unit with full dedication."

It was a lot of fun, he said, looking back. "I was feeling privileged that I am from the NSD and had my seniors around me. When they come on set and treat you with camaraderie, the atmosphere becomes so good. Everybody was working so hard and following call time and COVID protocols religiously.”

Discussing the medium of OTT (over-the-top streaming) platforms that have rapidly gained popularity, he said, “OTT is a boon for actors and people who wish to do something serious and different. The onus of this OTT boom goes to the audience, who have accepted the kind of content that is being shown. The audience has changed. During the pandemic, people got exposure to a lot of foreign shows and films in dubbed languages. Everyone wants to do good work and this is our opportunity to do good work.”

The actor's forthcoming work includes Hansal Mehta’s film Faraaz, based on the 2016 Holey Artisan cafe attack in Bangladesh.

Of the roles he wants to play, Danish Iqbal said, “The actor inside me wants to be challenged. Now I am getting opportunities in OTT and in cinema where I can do different things and directors are accepting it. Earlier, there used to be a set pattern and stereotypes; now, when I experiment with my roles, it is accepted.

"Basically, you need to bring through a truth in your performance and you can only do that when you bring forth that character through a certain process. I want to explore myself in front of the camera and do something that is different from what I am. This is a dream for an actor.”