Silence is not weakness, it’s wisdom: Thakur Anoop Singh on why Bollywood is choosing to stay quiet

Actor Thakur Anoop Singh is one of the very few people from the industry that left a prestigious job of a commercial pilot to pursue a career in acting and modeling. After having made a name for himself as Dhritarashtra in 2013’s Maabharat and later in South Indian and Marathi cinema. The actor was recently seen playing

Chatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj

in the widely appreciated Marathi film Dharmarakshak Mahaveer Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj: Chapter 1. During his recent visit to the city, we had the pleasure to interact with the new-age star and his explore his life and priorities, especially in today’s time.

What were the preparations for getting into the skin of Chatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s character?

TAS: Preparing for Chatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s role was more about adapting that lifestyle. Wearing 26 kg of armour and carrying a spear meant I had to build real physical strength—not just six-pack abs. I had to question myself, and the people around me, as to why there is just a fleeting mention of Chatrapti Sambhaji Maharaj in our history books. I did not have sources to refer to. Our historian suggested some books and other literary pieces which helped me understand that he was a man of many talents. He was a scholar in 14 languages, including Hindi, English, Portuguese, Urdu. So it was fun preparing to play someone like that.

Anoop mentioned that he was lonely, especially while studying in the US to become a pilot. Talking further about it, he said:

TAS: When you’re alone, it feels like God is talking to you. How? You just get these amazing, out-of-the-box ideas about life. Look, it’s simple. When you’re mostly around people, you start carrying their point of view unknowingly in your mind, and you end up following what others have suggested. So many people casually say, ‘I think you should do this, yaar.’ And you think, ‘Maybe, he is right.’ So, you’re letting someone else dictate your life. But the decisions I made in my loneliness made me who I am today. Why did I make such

independent choices

? Why didn’t I ever think of a 9-to-6 job? The more time you spend alone with yourself, the better you’ll understand yourself. When I spent that time with myself, I understood that I’m made for this. I believe I can do this. This ‘I believe’ — it’s not just your intuition, it’s a thought that has been placed from above — and He wants to see how far you’re willing to go. Hard work comes later — first comes the will. The will to go to any extent to do it.

What are your thoughts towards the recent terror attacks in Pahalgam and the events that followed?

TAS: I have faith in my government! Right now, our government and our armed forces are hard at work and we don’t know a fraction of what they do. And we shouldn’t. If we know that, then so will our enemies. At this point we are in no place to give an opinion. Misinformation is also a kind of propaganda and as responsible citizens, it is our duty to fact-check everything before blindly posting it. I do condemn what happened in Pahalgam. I wanted our nation to hit back with a proper response. Indians are peace-loving people and we don’t attack until provoked. The way we say ‘Ungli mat kar, maar khayega,’ this was not an ungli, it was the entire hand. As far as I am concerned, I am certain that no civilians were harmed in that retaliation, only the chosen terrorist camps.

What do you have to say on the silence of prominent names from the industry?

TAS: Their silence has nothing to do with their unwillingness to offend international fans. Everyone is fighting their own battles, maybe they are of the same opinion as others but chose to remain silent for a better reason. Because even one statement can be misinterpreted and used as weapon. So a star knows its influence and the impact it can have. When everything you say will end up becoming a topic of debate, you tend to stay silent. But that silence is not a sign of weakness. This is also a kind of misleading information. However, silent or vocal, every star will always stand united on one fact, ‘the nation will always come first.’ When the time comes, everyone will come forward to support the nation. Trolling their silence is of no use. You don’t expect Shah Rukh Khan to come out and speak because he is being targeted by a meme page with 10 followers. Their international fan-base is not just limited to Pakistan, its all over the world.

What are your thoughts on Mawra Hocane’s recent jab at Harshvardhan Rane?

TAS: Harshvardhan is right in his place! As an artist, no matter their caste, creed, religion or nationality, art will always have respect. But when it comes to a national issue, ‘India comes first’ by default. The fan-base that gave you so much love and respect, and then you go back to your country and call it a cowardly act, it is unfair. I believe in what Harshvardhan said. I have previously said, ‘are we running short on actors? Don’t pay it much heed.’ We have beautiful actresses, handsome men, both extremely talented. We don’t need to cater to people who feel bad and stop doing what we do. It will be up to government to decide when there will be peace. Right now, stick to your roots and believe in your nation.