Back in September 2022, when I first met Anchal Singh on the sidelines of a pan-India OTT awards show that I was organising, I was a bit on edge. Why? She’d left quite an indelible impression with her stellar (and menacing) OTT debut as Purva Awasthi in the Netflix series Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein (YKKA), earlier that year. However, it was barely a minute and that impression was obliterated by her enchanting smile. The ice was broken in no time and even as we had a brief chat about her performance and the series, I couldn’t help but notice how her mysterious eyes did most of the talking.
Two years later, now that season two of the series is out, Anchal is once again the talk of the town. One would assume that a lot would’ve changed in two years, but as I sat down to speak to her on a warm Saturday afternoon, I realised she’s still the vivacious and amicable person I met a couple of years back. In an exclusive conversation, she talked about all things YKKA, her early days as an actor, her one-sided Instagram DM-ing situation with Shah Rukh Khan, and more. Edited excerpts:
Q. How are you soaking in all the praise coming your way after season two?
A. Honestly, it feels incredible. Because when we started working on YKKA, we knew we had something special. But the overwhelming love and support from the audience has been beyond our expectations. Season one created a strong fan base, and in season two, the stakes were even higher. Like, as you all know, that season two (of a show) is something that makes you feel, now what happens and generally very jinxed. Season two of YKKA raised the bar in every way, be it storytelling, the character arc, or the intent. Especially with Purva, I think she brought an unpredictable and thrilling dynamic to the plot because people felt like, ‘Oh, we know now what Purva is all about. What can she do more now?’
I think that all the qualities that you saw in season one about Purva – that she’s fearless, she’s determined, and unapologetically out there – you saw the same qualities in season two, even though she was in a very different situation. She was kidnapped and it was not a favourable situation to be in. So, I think that’s been very interesting.
Q. Was it easy for you to step into your character again for the second season? Did you have to revisit the first season or could you take the pulse of it easily?
A. You see, once you play the character, you don’t forget her, because it’s a part of you now. And it’s like, you save memory’s office and keep it inside your heart that this is Purva, this is her life, and that’s what YKKA gave me. So, you need to just open the computer, as I say, tap into it, revisit it, and start from where you left off.
Q. Your personality in real life is completely different from your character in the show where you’re quite intimidating with your menacing eyes and the killer look that you give to Vikrant (Tahir Raj Bhasin). But in real life, you’re very chirpy and approachable. Is there any aspect or trait of Purva that you find similar to you in real life?
A. Both Purva and I are very confident about the choices that they make in life. Because I have never looked back and felt that ‘Oh, what if I did it that way? Oh, what if this happened? Oh, I should have not done that.’ I don’t repent. I mean, I live in my present. For example, we just spoke about something two minutes back. It’s out, it’s done. So rather than thinking about, ‘Oh, I could have changed what I said two minutes back’, I’m more interested to know what’s going to happen next, what I’ll say after two minutes. I’m like that in real life. Purva is, I think, completely like that. She’s lived her memories.
See, love is a feeling that needs to linger on forever. You can’t say that, ‘Oh, I moved on in life. I moved on from my love.’ She’s very rooted that way. She loves somebody and she sees the future with him, but she is unapologetic about what decisions she has taken in her life. She’s very forward-moving. That’s what I like about her.
Q. Personally, have you ever been that obsessed in love?
A. (Laughs) No, I have not been. I am definitely very, very passionate when it comes to things that I love to do. See, passion is a personality trait. It’s not that you see it in just love, whether it’s with a person, with my family, whether it’s my work – whatever I do, I do it with 100% passion, but there is no desperation or obsession.
Q. Well, your passion certainly shows in the series. Did you always want to become an actor?
A. Yes! I got to know this much later, honestly, that what I want to do is called acting, because as an outsider, you have a very different perception of the industry. You don’t think of an actor just from the craft point of view. You see the outside life of it. You see the glamour that comes with it, you see the trolling, the money, people being talked about and you think that’s what an actor’s life is. But the reality is something totally different because, in reality, it’s very craft-driven. You have to pick up the craft first. You have to work hard to get roles. You have to prove yourself at auditions. After that, when you get the role, you have to do your best to prove that yes, I’m worthwhile, and after you’ve delivered, you want it served out to the audiences, and then the cycle starts again. So, there is no stopping.
I can’t say, “Five years back, I did a great job, so you need to give me a role again.” You’re as good as your last job only. So, every time you need to prove that you’re an actor, that you are really good with your skills, and that you understand your characters and the choice of roles that you want to be in. It was much later that I understood ki, “Oh! This is what an actor’s job is! This is what I’ve always wanted to do.” As a child too, I remember that I felt I was very different. People around me made me feel that I’m very different. So, to circle it down ki yeh karna hai, I think this is only a divine intervention that it happened. Otherwise, I don’t know. I can’t see myself doing anything else but this.
Q. Do you remember approximately how many auditions you went for before getting your first big break?
A. Oh God, I think thousands. More than thousands. But you know what happens? Every time you do something, you feel like, “You know what, I have upped my game, and now, people will see my talent.” So, after I did Sri Siddhartha Gautama (it was an internationally acclaimed movie), I had to attend a conference in Chandigarh for SAARC and we had to speak about the film because it wasn’t about any religion. It’s promoting peace. That moment happened. Then, my Tamil film (Dhiluku Dhuddu) turned out to be a huge success. Matlab, they had to increase the number of shows in a day because it was doing so well. Then, the kind of advertisements that I was doing – I was the face of a popular cosmetic brand for some time. I did an ad with Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, and Ranbir Kapoor. So, every time you feel that this will now help me. This will open the eyes of the industry to see… “Let’s call this girl. She’s talented. Maybe, we want to give her a chance.” So, yeh sab toh hota hi raha (All these things kept happening). But it was YKKA that was a complete game changer because this show gave me the opportunity to showcase a character that’s complex and powerful. And then, the kind of recognition that came in, it was incredible. So, now I can say that it has opened doors for me, and it is now that I’m really excited for the new opportunities that come my way.
Q. So, tell us about how life changed for you after YKKA?
A. I genuinely feel that this is the beginning of a new phase in my career. Even after doing some small (pauses)… Now in retrospect, I’m saying small, small things but everything that I did before was like a very big thing for me, and I felt that I’m putting my foot forward. Now, I’m going ahead. But after years of that, this is what YKKA and Purva, especially, had to give me. I think it was worth the wait. So, yeah, very grateful.
Q. We always speak about having a dearth of women-led scripts in the industry. When you look at everything that is happening in the show, it is because of your character.
A. Absolutely.
Q. You spoke about your stints in the ad space, and in one of your previous interactions, you said that you found Ranbir Kapoor’s eyes very intimidating. But have you ever considered how ironic it is that in YKKA, it’s your eyes that are actually quite intimidating?
A. Wow! I did not think about it that way. And, you know, somebody asked me, “What is it about eyes? Because you did this series called Undekhi, then you did YKKA. Why are both the series about eyes?” I said, “Oh God, I never thought about it.” And I now think, maybe because eyes are the window to our souls. This is the thing that has kept people on their toes to understand what Purva really is. There is purity in her eyes, she’s genuine, and then at the same time, she’s unapologetic, fearless, and very layered. I think these combinations make a person very intimidating. This person is not scared, and she’s not driven by malice. She’s driven by passion. All these qualities are that of a strong personality and I think (like you said) we don’t have a lot of such women characters today. So, that’s a compliment (smiles).
Q. Gurmeet Choudhary is a new addition to the cast in the second season. How was the experience of having a new member join the team, especially since the three of you would have already bonded during the first season?
A. At this point in our show, we are very attached to the show as a whole. Sidharth Sengupta (director and co-writer) is the go-to person to discuss YKKA, Purva, or the growth of the characters. Above all, he’s also our mentor. So, I tend to speak to him a lot. The idea of YKKA for me means, let’s go bigger and massive. So (when you think) that way, I am not attached to the idea of ke yeh hum log hain, yeh bahar se koi aaya hai (this is us, that is somebody who has come from outside). The idea is that let’s welcome Gurmeet onboard and let’s make this bigger because I believe ke ek aur ek gyaarah ki shakti hoti hai (one and one make 11) and it’s not that one plus one is two.
It is only when you welcome somebody with open arms… It’s not that we are welcoming you, but it’s rather like you are a part of us, and let’s make this a bigger thing. Gurmeet was also very accepting of the same kind of energy that we gave him. And I love the kind of excitement he has brought into the show, the kind of action that he’s done. It’s incredible to watch somebody do that because you also get inspired by it. It’s been a great, great addition.
Q. We see you doing a lot of action in season two. What was that experience like? Do you want to do an out-and-out action film or series in the future?
A. Honestly, if you had asked me this before YKKA 2, I would have said that I don’t know if I can really do it, or if I have it in me to do it, but after season 2, I am definitely more confident, and I feel that I can take up an action-oriented film tomorrow. Because, when you do action, you get this adrenaline rush. Also, the action within the story is very interesting, so that’s what I want to do. With Purva, traditionally it wasn’t an action-oriented character. She was brought to such moments where she had to channel a more physical side of her. That blend of emotional intensity and physical action is very interesting. So, definitely, I would like to do more of it.
Q. What kind of genres would you want to take up now?
A: Hmm.. I think with YKKA, one has already touched upon a lot of genres. You can call it a psychological thriller, an intense drama. You can say it’s a complex, romantic story. So, I do not want to restrict myself by saying, “Oh, this is the kind of genre that I want to approach.” I think an actor should be able to do everything. In my real life, I love to explore things. Like, if you ask me my favourite colour today, I would probably say white. Tomorrow, I might say orange. And it’s the same with my music choices. It’s very extreme. I can go from north to south. So, in terms of choices and likes, I want to do everything genuinely. I don’t want to be restricted to OTT. I could do a good regional film. I can do a mainstream film. I would love to do more OTT. Today, you can go places. You can go to Hollywood. So, I manifest that I want to do everything. I’m a very ambitious person in that way (chuckles).
Q. It’s good to be ambitious!
A. Yes, the important thing definitely remains is that the role should be very meaningful, and the character that I do should have depth – that is very important for me.
Q. But growing up, was there any moment when you probably saw a character and thought that it would be interesting to play this kind of a role someday?
A: You know that Meryl Streep film (referring to The Devil Wears Prada), I love it because she plays a very strong woman. And then you get to see a little bit of her emotional side, and towards the end, you get to understand that her mind works a certain way. I think I’ve always been attracted to complex characters.
I love Devdas. I saw the one with Shah Rukh Khan and the one with Dilip Kumar, and I felt that I would love to do what Shah Rukh did or what Dilip Saab did. Like in Dilip Kumar’s Mashaal, I remember the story where he said that to do one of the scenes properly – where he was on the roadside asking for help, baarish ho rahi thi and koi help nahi kar raha tha; He sat there for 24 hours just to know how that area feels like, to be one with the location. I think these stories have always intrigued me.
And for that matter, I love that dialogue in Scarface by Al Pacino where he says that you need a bad person, just so that you can say, ‘Oh, I’m good and he’s bad,’ – I don’t remember the exact lines but I think this is what the crux was. So, any character that is compelling and helps you question and think, is very interesting. I think as a child, I was pretty complex (laughs).
Q. Well, to have that kind of understanding so early is quite something!
A. I think it also comes from the fact that you imagine, dream, and get into the world of cinema and when you look at these people’s lives, you don’t treat them as characters. You treat them as alive people. But also, because in your real life, you’re very simple and sorted, like my life is pretty plain that way, so all the excitement comes from what I see (onscreen).
Q. You spoke about Shah Rukh Khan in one of the promotional videos. We got to know that you’re, kind of, in a one-sided messaging situation with him on Instagram DMs. Would you elaborate on that?
A. My God! In the first place, I can’t even believe that I said something like that. So again, learning something from Purva, because she speaks less, but whatever she says is very meaningful and a well-thought-out feeling. She can correctly put it out there. I don’t think before I talk, so I just said it in the moment (laughs). But yes, that’s the truth. I have admired Shah Rukh sir’s work – the kind of roles he has taken up. You see him doing Main Hoon Na, and then you see him doing Swades – that kind of north-to-south approach, and his ability to take risks as an actor is something that’s very important. Like how Amir Khan gained weight for Dangal and then he’s doing those mainstream films also. Toh Shah Rukh Khan ka ek toh the diversity of roles, upar se I love his wit, and I love the way he connects with his audience. That is a major takeaway. If you speak to anybody who has worked with him, they will always say that he makes you feel like you are the star in the room. That sort of generosity and the kind of work that he does, that combination is very good. That’s why he’s people’s favourite. That’s why I like him and I keep messaging him (chuckles).
Q. But have you ever met him?
A. No, I’ve never met him. Frankly, I’ve had chances, like somebody told me that, “He’s working here. You can go and say hello to him, or he would be at so and so event, even you should go there and say hello.” I have so much respect and love for him that I want to meet him on a working set. That will be the best feeling for an artist. We all are fans of what we know of him, and I want to be in that bubble. I never want to come out of that bubble. I don’t want to. I want to work with him. I don’t know if I can talk to him about anything else. I can, I think, only talk about work (smiles).
Also, you know the people that you love so much and respect so much, you want them to see you a certain way. When they look at you while you are on a working set, working with them, it’s a different feeling. You also feel that ‘Okay, I’m not wasting his time.’ It’s like ‘I deserve to be here at that moment’ sort of feeling.
Q. Circling back to YKKA, what was the most challenging aspect of shooting for the second season?
A. There were moments in the series where I had to push myself emotionally to portray her (Purva’s) obsessive love and fierce determination. Those were actually very difficult scenes for me and very rewarding at the same time. It’s also because I don’t see Purva as a villain. I don’t want people to see her as a villain as well. She’s a woman driven by love and everything she does, stems from that passion. Her methods are definitely questionable, but her intentions come from a place of a deep emotional need because she’s misunderstood. That’s how society generally is. There are times when people label something, like, she’s strong, ambitious and she’s fighting for what she wants. Women like her are easily misunderstood. Then there’s a responsibility to play the character in such a way that it’s perceived in the right manner. You have to emotionally prepare yourself a lot.
Of course, as an actor, you want to show your range of emotions and your skills. But what is important is ke utna dikhao jitna zarurat hai. Zarurat se zyada mat dikhao (Only show what’s required. Do not show more than that). If you ask me about one particular moment that was challenging, woh nahi hai. The whole arc of Purva was very important to me, and that’s why I had to play it a certain way because I knew that there was a difference between season one Purva and season two Purva. But, they are the same people, so that was very important.
Q. What would you say about your equation with Tahir, Shweta Tripathi, and Arunoday Singh? You spent quite a lot of time with Arunoday in the second season.
A. They’re wonderful people. (Aruno)Day is so gentle… (pauses). He’s in a completely emotional role, but there’s a certain line that he will always remember. Like, he’s always very careful about how he’s handling me, or if it’s hurting me or not when there’s an action scene. He’s a gentleman that way.
Q. There are scenes where we see him slapping you on-screen as well.
A. Not even once, while shooting did it actually happen.
Q. Of course, it was part of the shoot/acting process, and he wouldn’t…
A. I know. But I have done something before, many many years back, with an actor (I can’t take his name), and in a scene, it was needed that he slap me and he actually slapped me. You meet different kinds of actors. I was also very new back then and I didn’t know that it was very wrong. But then it’s the responsibility of the people on the set, and the actor also (to see that something like this doesn’t happen). Somebody asked me what is women empowerment to you and I said that women empowerment is when men understand that women need to be empowered. So, you alone can do a lot but having people around you who support you – that’s more important. So coming back to Day, he was very responsible and a thorough gentleman.
Q. What about Tahir and Shweta?
A. Tahir is somebody who’s very focused on his character. The good thing about this set has been that everybody is so serious about their work and the series that they do not get in and out of character because we feel that there’s a responsibility on our shoulders. So when your co-actor also has this feeling that we want to make this show work, for that you and I need to be in our own zone, you speak to each other without speaking and there’s this emotional, comforting relationship. That’s there with Tahir, and Shweta is a sweetheart, and she knows that. I genuinely love her.
Q. Season 2 ends on a very interesting cliffhanger. What can we expect from season 3? I hope we don’t have to wait for another 2 years for the next season.
A. Right now all I can do is talk about season two (laughs).
Q. But season 3 is happening right? The show cannot end on a cliffhanger.
A. See, jab tak kahaani khatam nahi hoti, tab tak end nahi hota hai. Ham toh isi phrase ko leke chal rahe hain (Till the time the story ends, the show must go on. We are living by this phrase as of now). Baaki, officially, it has to be announced from elsewhere, before I do that.
Q. Of course, but are there talks about season 3 happening?
A. There are talks. I think they are thinking about it already. The way we upped the game from season one to season two, I’m sure in the subsequent seasons, that’s what the idea is all about. And about Purva in YKKA, in subsequent seasons that Inshaallah has to happen, she will not be a typical protagonist for sure. (Signs off)
(Images via Anchal Singh/Shweta Tripathi/Netflix, Instagram)
