Ankur Verma remembers his struggling days before Naagin

Ankur Verma, an actor, finished his studies in 2018 and has since been auditioning for acting roles. Ankur Verma began performing in stage plays in Delhi before moving to Mumbai to pursue a career in acting. 

“I had a few city friends who assisted me with auditions and the process.” Before being cast in a TV show, I went through 600-700 auditions. 

Because theatre and photography are two very different games, and also it took me a while to realize this. “It took me 300-400 auditions to realize the difference,” he says.

Verma, who currently plays the lead in a daily soap, recalls how being “shortlisted” for projects was a big deal for him. 

“I used to get rejected for various reasons, including my age, height, and even my accent,” he says. Verma spends nearly 12 hours shooting his TV show. He, on the other hand, has no reservations. 

“It’s all about finding a way to balance your life.” Even if you aim for 12 hours, you still have 12 hours to sleep, eat, meditate, and do yoga. “It’s always about balancing, and I’m an expert at it, so it doesn’t bother me,” he explains.

While many complain about the unsanitary working conditions in television, Verma sees this as an opportunity to hone his craft. “I believe it is okay for the younger actors.” 

You have young blood, and you are here to polish; whatever you are shooting today, you watch it the day before to correct your mistakes and adjust your body language. 

TV is the finest way to get polished. Senior actors may feel this way (unhealthily) since they must juggle their personal lives, families, and job. It is suitable for bachelors.

We’ve come to work and polish. I don’t get fatigued because I have time between shots. “We’re just shooting for 7 to 8 hours instead of 12 hours, and we’re resting for 4 hours, so it’s fine,” he explains.

Verma also made his OTT debut with the serial Dahaad. Others may notice disparities in working conditions on a television set and others, but Verma does not. 

“It is always and forever about the team; if an actor throws a tantrum in any medium, the schedule is bound to change.” It is dependent on the crew, the performers, the director, and their combined efforts. 

Every project can run smoothly if actors and team members are disciplined. Other than the technical issues, I didn’t see any difference in the way I worked,” he explains.

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