Anshuman Jha displays his violent streak in Midnight Delhi and Abhay

Anshuman Jha in Abhay

"I modelled my character on a hyena," says Anshuman Jha, the peculiarity of his choice not lost on us. The actor, who plays a serial killer Udayan Das in the web show, Abhay, describes his muse as "violent and extremely dark" when making a case for himself with the choice of animal. In the week gone by, Jha shot for the Zee5 series in Lucknow and Kanpur, along with Kunal Kemmu.

Interestingly, the actor also plays a real-life sociopath in the film, Midnight Delhi, based on a notorious blademan, who, in 2010, would apparently ask for a lift, and slit the throats of those who offered one. "This man is innocently violent, so I have kept a certain amount of delicacy and grace [attached with this role]. [Criminals] think they are fearless heroes, which makes it a treat to play them."

With an array of "colourful" roles on his résumé, Jha was glad to portray darker shades on screen. "For the show, I went into a dark space, but trusted [director] Ken Ghosh's vision." Prep work, for the actor, revolved around understanding how the criminals executed their crimes.

"For Midnight Delhi, I learnt to keep a blade in the mouth. I also had to get accustomed to abusing in each sentence. The cursing and aggression that I noticed when growing up in North India came handy. Playing a villain occasionally is more exciting than being the good guy."

Also Read: Kunal Kemmu to play investigative officer in Zee 5's upcoming original Abhay

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