If Thakur Anoop Singh’s physique in the climax scene of Singam 3 left you awestruck, it is not without a reason. This model and body builder from Udaipur had already made the country proud by winning Mr India (silver), Mr Asia (bronze) and Mr World (Gold- all in fitness physique categories) titles before venturing into movies. While Rogue and Winner awaits release, the actor basks in the success of Singam 3 , “I gave Puri Jagan an audition in Telugu and he signed me up for Rogue . While I was competing for Mr World event, I kept working on my lines, that’s how I could manage to dub for the movie. I dubbed for Singam as well. Ramgopal Varma messaged that he liked my performance. When people appreciate your efforts, you like to try some more. Now I want to work in meaningful cinema and not just showcase my physique,” says Anoop.
The actor became a pilot when he was 19 but veered towards acting due to recession. After a series of rejections at auditions, he was finally selected for Mahabharat . The television experience prepared and groomed him well to become an actor, he admits.
Fitness concerns
While the titles added to his personality, the small tube stint gave him a strong foundation. He worked long hours to meet deadlines and though his work was limited it was memorable. “After television, I took a one year break. I desperately wanted to come out of the look from Mahabharat . I gained a lot of fat on my body as I was playing Dhritrasthra, a 125-year-old man. I couldn’t look fit at that age and also I was concentrating on facial expressions with half my face covered with white beard. Wherever I went, people would recognise me with my bulky body. All that was affecting my work and I wanted to do something big like films. That’s when I started working on my body, which helped me win the titles too,” he avers.
Anoop trains for two hours in the morning and two in the evening. Fitness has made him disciplined, calmer and has also opened up an alternative career option. He is a motivational speaker and a brand ambassador for a few companies that promotes supplements and health food. He adds, “I address corporates and all my experiences I had in my life, I share with the crowd. It is nice to inspire others to be fit.”
Horsing around
In Winner, which is based on horse racing, he plays a jockey. When he signed the film they asked him if he knew horse riding. While sitting on a horse was no big deal as he had played a warrior in Mahabharat, Winner required proper horse riding. Anoop who is an animal lover had never liked riding a horse, he felt it was a load on the horse. Now he talks of his experience while shooting for the film at Istanbul. “I did not know how powerful a horse is. It runs 45 miles an hour, how you hold it is important as it knows when to stop and when to run. You have to be spontaneous in the sport as everything changes in the last ten seconds. Also I observed that jockeys are not tall and they have a unique way of controlling the animals. People in Istanbul love horses, betting goes on big time.” Right now he’s betting on a long innings in films.
