Exclusive! Arunoday Singh: Damn it people, audition me, I can be more than a lover or a killer!

Arunoday Singh is back as retired inspector Rudra Srivastava for Apharan’s season 2. The first season of the show (available on AltBalaji and MX Player) marked his debut on OTT. Ever since he gave a memorable performance as the lover who kills, Arunoday has received projects which portray him either as a lover or a killer. In our interview, the actor said that he wants to be more than that but terms and conditions apply. Excerpts…

Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein and now Apharan 2. Does 2022 look promising for you?

2022 has been excellent so far. Yes, it does look very promising.

What made you pick Apharan as a project? Was it your rangeen character, the dialogues, the overall story or your confidence in its execution?

My confidence was always very low. I feel like I work better when I’m underconfident than if I’m overconfident. The credit for all of it goes to the creator of Apharan – Siddharth Sengupta. I had a meeting with him because he called me in on some instinct. He spoke to me about the project and the character. I saw how passionate and intelligent he was. We connected immediately. I said yes to it immediately too. I was just meant to find it, thank god! I didn’t have to think very hard or try at all. It just came to me.

Also, did you know that Apharan would turn out to be the way it did?

I stopped thinking like that a long time ago. I don’t put expectations on work anymore. I just enjoy it. It was very nice and lovely to find out it connected so well but I wasn’t thinking about it and generally don’t tend to think about it.

What I’m trying to ask is, was this written in the script and you knew it would turn out the way it did? The hilarious elements, background music – was it all pre-decided?

No, just the scenes. I knew the scenes would come out like that because it was what I was supposed to do. The background music and how they edited it gets a lot of credit, you know. The scenes are just the basics. Everyone worked so well. All the actors are so wonderfully talented. Everyone put that together.

You know, you are one of the acclaimed actors out there but end up playing more characters like either a lover or a killer or a combination of both…

I don’t know what to do about it man. Nobody’s giving me anything else. Damn it people, audition me for other things! I can be more than a lover and a killer. I don’t know why that is. I can’t say anything about it. It just is how it is.

Once-in-a-while you get a little different role but especially on OTT, you have been doing these characters ever since Apharan released. Do you wish to change that? If so, how?

No, I didn’t try and make the image so I won’t try and change the image. I don’t worry about the image at all past a point. I’m aware of the image because I know that’s the kind of work I seem to only get. I would love to do other things, provided the script, project and the director are wonderful. When those come and I hope that they do, I will definitely do them. Of all the things of quality that I get, I do end up doing the same type of work. Also, the way I look and the size I am, there’s not really a lot of things that I could act in.

If you were actually Rudra in real life, would you have reacted the exact same way he does in all situations?

I am Rudra in real life. That’s how it works. The way Rudra reacts is how I would react because that’s how I can play it. I can’t do it if it’s fake. In some strange way, some part of Arunoday would react the same way as Rudra.

Decode blackmailing scene between Rudra and Tyagi. Of course, it was only shot with you but you had to portray anger and love in the same scene, which, might I add, you did brilliantly. So tell me, what was going on in your mind that you could bring forth those expressions?

I wouldn’t be able to tell you. I can’t tell you because it’s not possible to tell you. I’m barely aware of it past a point.

Anything you remember about the scene?

No, it’s like asking water to describe the ocean. It’s just is what it is. I don’t know how to do that.

Okay, so you are telling me you are a spontaneous person/actor?

Not spontaneous. I do rehearse but I throw that all away when I perform. So, I approach a scene fresh but I have prepared something. We can’t approach all of it spontaneously. That’s not a good way to work.

Arunoday is expected to be a part of Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein season 2 as well. His web series Apharan 2 released on March 18 and can be streamed on Voot.