Participant of Roadies 4 and now actor, Ankit Mohan is truly a “destiny’s child”. For someone who had no plans of becoming an actor, is making his debut in Pankaj Kapur’s much-awaited directorial debut Mausam as Flt Lt. Ashfaq Hussain who is Shahid Kapur’s batchmate and friend in the film.
Born and brought up in Chandni Chowk, Ankit came into the spotlight by chance. He shares, “A friend who was going for the Roadies audition asked me to accompany him. Unfortunately, he got rejected and I got selected. Even on the show, I never pretended to be somebody else. I never intended to get into acting, but after the show, a friend suggested that I try my luck in the industry, so I gave myself two months in Mumbai and it turned into two years. ”
Even though 24-year-old Ankit left his family’s corporate gifts business and shifted base to Mumbai, he remains a true Dilliwalah at heart. “My wish is to make my family proud. My dad says one must live life as an inspiration to others,” he says.
Ankit says he was the lucky one among the 800 that had auditioned for this role and the filmmakers selected him. “I am now a firm believer in destiny. I couldn’t have asked for a better debut. Working with Pankaj sir has been a huge learning experience. Our first schedule was shot in Scotland, and when my visa arrived I didn’t even have the time to meet my family, we said good-bye over the phone.”
Describing an emotional moment on the shoot, he says, “Pankaj sir is a legend. His wife Supriyaji and he made me feel extremely comfortable on the shoot. I am not an actor, I haven’t learnt acting, so being guided by him has enriched me. He never made me feel like a fresher. On the last day of our shoot, he said, ‘It was lovely having Ankit amidst us’ in front of over 100 people on the set. I couldn’t hold back my tears and asked sir if I could hug him.”
Donning the Air Force uniform made Ankit extremely proud. “Every boy dreams of wearing the uniform some day, but I never thought that not only would I get to wear it, but also play the part. One of the greatest things to come out of this film is that I have made a friend for life. Umesh, an Air Force officer, who taught me the body language of an officer, has become a close pal.”
Ankit is open to offers from both television as well as films. “I want to prove I am a versatile performer. The medium doesn’t matter to me. However, I am keen to work with Vishal, Rajkumar Hirani and Aamir Khan,” he sums up.