Shashank Arora stepped into acting in 2014 with the neo-noir crime thriller Titli and was later seen in films such as Rock On 2 and Superboys of Malegaon. The actor shares why characters that are closer to the performer are tricky. 
&ldquo;Workshops were what really helped me, and my prior training has thankfully made me vulnerable enough to play the part. Atul Mongia, who does the workshops, is a genius. All the other credit goes to my acting professor, Rob Reece, who taught me all the craft I know,&rdquo; shared Shashank on Titli.
Later, Shashank Arora starred in the iconic film Rock On 2 and made the most out of his opportunity.
Speaking about the film, Shashank said, &ldquo;I played a classically trained musician. I played the sarod and a bit of the bass guitar. Characters that are closer to you are tricky as well because one tends to get lazy in their portrayal. But the character in Rock On 2 was quite far from me as well. Banarasi sarod player who is trying to make it into the music industry, but definitely not as complex as Titli.&rdquo;
In his latest release Superboys of Malegaon, the actor plays the role of a small-town dreamer who aspires and defines loyalty in friendship.
&ldquo;What brought me to Malegaon are people who value stories and feelings over money and a bunch of friends who put everything on the line to make a film. That&rsquo;s what brought me to Malegaon.&rdquo;
&ldquo;My reaction to what you call this &lsquo;bizarre breeding ground of filmmaking&rsquo; is the same when I look at Mumbai, which might seem different to those who live here, but is actually a more bizarre breeding ground,&rdquo; shared Shashank.
He also shared that he had to work with restrictions in the film.
&ldquo;With any character which actually existed, you have a tighter parameter. My director, Reema Kagti, gives a balance of instructions and freedom. It&rsquo;s up to the actor to make use of them,&rdquo; he added.
Shashank shared the screen space with Vineet Kumar Singh and Adarsh Gourav and called them the &ldquo;finest actors&rdquo; in the country.
&ldquo;The journey so far has not been easy for me. I knew nobody when I got here. But Kamal Hassan recently called me his favourite actor so I guess it&rsquo;s going well,&rdquo; he said.
Arora has also starred in the successful Amazon series Made in Heaven.&nbsp;
&mdash;IANS
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‘Made in Heaven’ actor talks challenges and trials of the acting profession

Characters Closer to You are Tricky: Shashank Arora

‘Made in Heaven’ actor talks challenges and trials of the acting profession

March 5, 2025 | 12:24 IST