He made his digital debut in 2018 with the iconic Prime Video original web show Mirzapur and Anjum Sharma is now playing a lead role in Milan Luthria’s new show Sultan of Delhi. In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times, the actor talks about the experience of working on an extravagant project like Sultan of Delhi, his own equation with co-actors Mouni Roy and Tahir Raj Bhasin, and more. (Also read: Anupriya Goenka says Mukesh Bhatt told her: ‘Beti, you remind me of Smita Patil’)
Shooting in Kutch
Anjum recalled how he fell sick one day when they shot in the hot weather in the Kutch region. “Most days were like that. It is an action show, it has so many different setups. We had an action sequence in Kutch which we shot in 46 degrees of heat. There was not even a tree we could seek refuge under. We were shooting bullets, bombs were exploding all day. And, I was shooting in a leather jacket. I was all red the first day, just after a few hours of shooting. By the night, I was a little sick. It felt better the next day but I soon realised that my body was now acclimatised to the heat.”
Shooting on a moving train
Talking about the huge scale of the production, Anjum said, “There is one sequence on top of a moving train. We went to Punjab and shot on a proper moving train. Tahir and I are going somewhere for work and we talk atop a train. That conversation could have happened in a truck, a car, in a dhaba or on a bike, but it is Milan Luthria so it is on a train. I remember when he told me about the scene during narration I realised the huge scale of the show. Soon, after the scene, I told him this was my Kachche Dhaage (Milan’s 1999 film with Ajay Devgn, and Saif Ali Khan) moment. That film had a big impact on me and he has a major love for trains. He just laughed and said ‘yeah, yeah’. That scene was difficult to shoot. We shot somewhere near the last station in Punjab. I could see the other side of the border on Google Maps.”
On working with Mouni Roy
Asked about the equation he shared with Mouni Roy, Anjum said that he was not sure how to go about things when they were about to shoot a song together. “I knew she is a dancer and I needed to be there. I was not required to dance, but it was a choreographed performance. The rehearsals went on for a few days. It looked very tough and then we shot for three-four days. Initially, I was speculative how will I perform beside Mouni on that huge set. You know, everyday, there were some lakhs of rupees being spent on you.”
He added, “So, Tahir and I shot some difficult and emotionally charged scenes. When she joined the cast, she brought her flair with her. She is such a sweet person. The first thing we shot together a romantic and emotional scene. I was apprehensive and I was like ‘I have had time with the character and am in the character’ but she had just arrived. I wanted to make sure she was also comfortable. But, as the professional that she is, she gracefully did it all. It was a humble experience for me. She never hesitated in asking for suggestions, for example when she felt it was a performance-oriented scene. She also did not hold back on sharing her own suggestions when it came to her expertise- dancing.”
Anjum also said, “I was expecting she’d come with her own baggage of experience and all, but she is very humble. We hit it off very well on the first day itself. She was very patient and supportive. It was a very comfortable, mutual and warm kind of equation that we eventually developed.”
Anjum’s prep for Sultan of Delhi
Talking about the physique he needed for the show, Anjum recalled that he was clear he did not need a chiseled body and it would have to be something on the lines of Dharmendra’s physique from the 60s. “My character needed to look tough as he is from the crime world but if you see Dharmendra, or any stars from that era, they were bulkier. They were not lean neither did they have sharp jawlines. I needed a sturdy and nice physique with chubby face.” He added that unlike his Mirzapur character, he is not supposed to analyze much in Sultan of Delhi.
Mirzapur 3
Asked about the third part of his popular show, Anjum said, “Mirzapur 3? I can tell you that it is not coming this year, maybe early next year. The post-production and dubbing is all completed.”
