Playing Teji in Undekhi lifted me up, says Anchal Singh

Actress Anchal Singh has done a few regional films. But it is SonyLIV’s Undekhi, directed by Ashish R Shukla, that holds special significance for her, as this series flagged off her journey in the Hindi industry.

“Before this, I was a newcomer though I came with my baggage of work,” she told Cinestaan.com. “I had done 400 advertisements. I had done a film each in the South and in Punjab. I had also done an international film. But people still didn’t recognize my work. After doing ads and one regional movie followed by another, they used to ask which industry I belonged to. I had the same question [in my mind].”

Anchal plays Teji, who is set to marry Daman Atwal (Ankur Rathee), in Undekhi. All hell breaks loose, however, when Daman’s father Papaji (Harsh Chhaya) kills a dancer at a pre-wedding function. Papaji's nephew Rinku (Surya Sharma), who is more like a son to him, takes it upon himself to ensure that he doesn’t face the music.

Anchal said she was always keen to impress people with her work than with her looks. “That is a true compliment," she said. "I am an artiste. You don’t easily get such a character. They were also not written often. But now they are, all thanks to OTT [over-the-top streaming platforms].”

One reason why she instantly agreed to do Undekhi was her character’s journey. “I realized this is going to be a lot interesting," she said. "She is a mentally strong girl, but the kind of situations she faces breaks her. She then rises after falling.

"I was told my journey would be seen more in Season 2. The first season was a story of just three or four days. You can’t put more dimensions to a character in such a short span. [Teji] vows at the end of Season 1 that she will fight the system the Atwals have created based on criminalism. She does that in Season 2. So now she is in full flow.”

While every day is Women’s Day for Anchal, with International Women's Day approaching, she feels her character becomes more relevant. “Society often looks down upon women,” she said. “We are also conditioned to think that we are just givers. If we ask for something, we are seen as selfish. But it can also be a need. So we should draw strength from inside. Teji is doing exactly that.”

Interesting roles come with interesting challenges and that’s what happened with Anchal while portraying Teji. “There is a difference in your personality when you receive strength from your family as compared to when you draw it from within," she said. “To realize to what extent she was broken was the most challenging part. Once I understood that, I started enjoying Teji’s world. She was also lifting Anchal up. She gave me strength.”

Siddharth Sengupta, showrunner for the first season, directed Anchal's next show Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhen (2022) on Netflix. “I was cast in Undekhi (Season 1) by casting director Kavish Sinha," she said. "This is how I met Siddharth sir. During Undekhi, he suggested that I should audition for his next show. It became a life-changing opportunity. People could then see that I can do a character that goes through such different dimensions.”

Not surprisingly, she has high regard for Sengupta. “No praise is too high for him," she said. “I don’t have an industry background. I don’t have friends in the industry. I have reached here by taking small steps. Siddharth sir is my mentor whom I can ask questions and clear my doubts on what to choose next. So I am connected with him emotionally.”

Like every year, Netflix is coming up with a special video on International Women’s Day featuring female artistes from their films and shows over the past year. Anchal recently shot for the video. “I met some beautiful and amazing actresses there,” she said. “I wanted to compliment them on their work, but they congratulated me. Taapsee Pannu told me I was fortunate to play such a meaty character [in YKKA]. She also congratulated me for accepting this character because some actresses only want to do clean, positive characters.”

She continued, “Mrunal Thakur said she loved my work and gave me a warm hug. Same with Amrutaji [Subhash] and Surveen Chawla. Such praise lifts you. It is believed that two girls can’t be friends in the industry. But I feel real strength is when two girls team up. They can then make life hell for any guy (laughs).”

Anchal is happy with how far she has come in her career but wants to keep going. “After waiting a lot, I have reached a stage where the audience loves me,” she said. “So I want to continue doing good work. I want to work with the likes of Zoya Akhtar and Imtiaz Ali. I just want to work a lot. When I was going through a period of struggle it was only my hunger for work that kept me going.”

Undekhi (Season 2), produced by Applause Entertainment, is set to be premiered on SonyLIV on 4 March.