‘I didn’t explore much as an actor earlier’: Annup Sonii on his new Hindi suspense thriller and more..Dec 22 (AZINS) It’s after a gap of nine long years that Annup Sonii has taken on a new play. Ballygunge 1990 – Love is an Endless Mystery, is directed by Atul Satya Kaushik and it had its premiere in Delhi a few days ago. Annup, who quit Crime Patrol, a show he hosted for eight long years, was ready to take on something challenging and the play presented him with the right opportunity. With a web series and a couple of films to look forward to, he is ready to explore other mediums and genres... 

You acted in a new production after a long gap...

Yes, after almost nine years. I keep doing shows of my earlier plays, but had not taken on a new one for a long time. One needs a lot of time to rehearse for a new piece and I was busy with my television commitments. There was a reason I said yes to this one. It’s a suspense thriller, a genre which has not been explored much in Hindi theatre. Sometimes, some adaptations happen but this is an original Hindi script set in the Indian mileu. It was an exciting script. My first reaction was that the author-backed role was of the girl. But when I started reading the full script, I realised that the challenge for me, as an actor, was much more. There are two characters, one is handling the situation, and the other is reacting to it. It was exciting for me to play the latter. If there is a new situation to react to every 10 minutes, how differently and realistically can you do that. That was challenging for me.

How was the response to the play in Delhi?

The response was really good. When my father-in-law, Raj Babbar, saw the first show in Delhi, he said the one thing that he learnt from me was that one doesn’t need to overshadow their co-actor. You just need to stay true to your character.

You seem to be fond of the suspense/crime genre. Your last show on TV, Crime Patrol, was crime-based as well...

(Laughs) No, nothing like that. It’s been six-seven months that I quit the show and I’m trying to break that image of mine by doing different work. I’m in the process of shooting for my new web series, Baahubali: Before The Beginning on Netflix. I can’t talk about my character but I can guarantee that people will see me in a different avatar. I have also done Prassthanam with Sanjay Dutt and I recently finished shooting for Kunal Kohli’s Ramayan. There too, I will have a different look. It’s not just about breaking the mould. I think, as an actor, I didn’t explore much because I was too busy with Crime Patrol for so many years. I’m happy I can take these chances now. Even in theatre, one usually gets to do a family drama, a love story or a comedy. I thought if I’m doing a new play after so long, it should be a little challenging, a genre that not many have seen on stage. It’s a gripping, 85 minute long play with no interval. There are no blackouts, so once I come on stage, I only go back when it’s over. And I can guarantee that you will spend the last 25 minutes just guessing what’s going to happen next.

You have also recently co-authored the book, Crime Patrol: The Most Thrilling Stories, with Oswald Pereira.

Yes, I think that’s completed my role with the show. The publishers had approached me during the time I used to host the series. I told them that I’m not a writer. I can think of a plot or an idea but I can’t write it in a dramatic form. I can select the real-life crime stories and make a one-liner on how to narrate it but I needed a co-author. Luckily, Oswald, who’s a senior crime journalist, was on the same page as me and it worked out well. Some of them are part of the show as well, but the narrative here is different.

Ballygunge 1990 – Love is an Endless Mystery will be staged in Delhi on Jan 6, 7 pm at Kamani Audiorium, Mandi House and in Mumbai on Jan 12, 8 pm, Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir, Bandra East.