Exclusive: Anshuman Malhotra Of Love Sleep Repeat: After Haider I Knew I Wanted To Act

Anshuman Malhotra plays the role of Vishwas, a boy from a small town, who moves to a big city on ZEE5 Original web series Love Sleep Repeat. He talks to us about how he related to everything about his character on the show. He opens up about how working with Vishal Bharadwaj in Haider convinced him to take up acting as his career. And list down his inspirations as Jason Momoa and The Tashkent Files actor Pankaj Tripathi.

Int: I read somewhere you wanted to join the army first then become a cricketer and then joined acting? So how did that whole journey begin?

Anshuman: Actually because my nana (grandfather) was in the army and a boxer, that’s how it came to my mind. Also, I wanted to join the army because I liked guns! I didn’t know anything about the army, I just knew I wanted to be on the border with my gun. Unfortunately I had to go for a surgery and I could run for around 6-9 months. So my NDA thing got canned and I thought of becoming a cricketer. In my 2-month summer vacation my mom took me for a camp to practice with some cricketers. I realised I was really scared of fast balls and I decided to do something else.

My father (Manoj Malhotra) was a musician in Bollywood, and I came here to work in the film industry. I didn’t know I wanted to act at that time. I was thinking about singing or acting. When Vishal sir’s Haider happened I realised I wanted to be an actor like Maza aa raha hai isme”.

Int: You sing well too?

Anshuman: (chuckles) Not very bad. I can sing. I’ll sing sometime for you. (Laughs)

Int: Tell us more about your character Vishwas on Love Sleep Repeat?

Anshuman: Vishwas is a normal character like you and me…

Int: No one gets seven girls in seven days. Clearly the character is different.

Anshuman: Vishwas, the character, is like a regular good guy. The rest of seven girls in seven days is just luck (laughs). Vishwas is kind of looking for love. He has spent 23-24 years in Panchgini and now he is in the city free to live the life he wants to. So he falls in love with everyone and everything. The other reason girls are also attracted to him because he is a cute looking gentleman which is kind of rare these days (raises collar in mock confidence).

Watch a character promo of Anshuman Malhotra as Vishwas here.

Int: Apart from movies and web series you also had a stint in Television shows. What was that like?

Anshuman: Yes. Right after Haider I did a few TV shows but they were cool TV shows none of the saas-bahu type. The first one was Yeh Jawani Ta Ra Ri Ri which no one remembers now, and Warrior High. Then I did another TV show Nagarjun: Ek Yodha, a very cool show where I got to be half man-half snake and this was before Naagin. The first month of shooting was great. The CGI was really good the stunts looked realistic. In fact my stuntman was Sameer I think, who had done a lot of hit bollywood films with Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. But then it’s a daily show so the snake costumes became plastic and it kind of got frustrating at that point. However, the first month was very exciting.

Int: How do you feel about the release of Love Sleep Release?

Anshuman: I am really excited to show this show to my friends. In fact, ZEE5 told me I can get five friends for the screening. I told them that it’s not possible, I’ll sit on the floor but I need to get all my friends. They are all excited  – just seeing the poster one boy and seven girls!

Int: About the poster… There are seven women, one boy and one cactus… What do you think the cactus is there for?

Anshuman: A cactus? (laughs) Oh yeah the cactus, that it the love that hurts, bro. It’s for all the lessons Vishwas learns after falling in love with all the 7 girls.

Int: Did you draw inspirations from your personal relationship for scenes in this movie? Or did you have scene in the show that happened in real life?

Anshuman: A lot of similar incidents happened because with seven girls one or the other incident is bound to connect to you. Like if you are at a party with someone but someone else hits on you. So it’s good that you can relate and I can’t remember a lot of the scene, but it helps me taking what I learnt on the set and use it in the real life situations.

Int: A millenial aspect of Love Sleep Repeat that you relate to?

Anshuman: As in? Everything, bro! Playing the role of Vishwas was just me doing my own thing. I was on set like tell me what new thing to do sir. I do all of this in my daily life only, except dancing of course. Dancing and also learning the lyrics, man I was dead. I had to learn the dance steps and the lyrics in 2 days. After that shoot which was my last for this show I went to Himachal for 10 days.

Int: The dance was so stressful you had to go to the mountains?

Anshuman: (laughs) Yeah. Kind of that’s what it was.

Watch his dancing skills in the song ‘Phirse Pyaar Hua’ from Love Sleep Repeat.

Int: So 2020 is almost here. What’s your new year resolution for the new year?

Anshuman: I was discussing this with my mom the other day. I need to improve on a few things. Like I want to be more careful, mindful and less selfish because I can tend to be selfish sometimes. 2020, I think Halloween I know what I want to go as. It’s a bit to early to decide but I want to become jacked (beef up) like Jason Momoa in Aquaman.

Int: Work-wise what do you have lined up for the next year?

Anshuman: I recently shot a movie in Delhi with Bidita Bag (who starred in ZEE5 Original film The Sholay Girl), Rajat Kapoor for a very interesting movie which will be shown at the Goa Film Festival next year. So you might see me in few things but is good roles, interesting roles. Kind of like Pankaj Tripathi who is really my inspiration. I think he is such a good person which is why he is such a good actor. And if you listen to him after a couple of drinks, you will feel really good.

Watch him play the role of a innocent small-town playboy, on ZEE5’s Love Sleep Repeat, all episodes streaming on ZEE5.

With inputs from Aayushi Sharma