Ankur Bhatia is no new to the entertainment industry. Having worked in films like Zanjeer, Haseena Parkar, and more, he once again snatched the limelight by appearing in Disney+ Hotstar thriller show Aarya starring Sushmita Sen as the lead. He plays the role of the actress’ brother, Sangram Singh in the series and is gearing up for the release of Aarya 2 on the streaming giant on December 10. Now, we at LatestLY got a chance to chit chat with Ankur exclusively and must say he was at his candid best. Read the excerpts from the interview below. Ahead of Aarya 2 Release, Sushmita Sen Gets Candid in a Rapid Fire Session With Disney+ Hotstar (Watch Video).

How excited are you for Aarya 2?

"I’m extremely excited. Aarya has done wonders to my career and so I’m eagerly waiting for season two to drop soon. There’s ample amount of excitement."

How did you land the role of Sangram in Aarya? Could you elaborate on the audition process?

"I got an audition call from Abhimanyu, who was the casting director of Aarya Season 1. So, he called me and said there is a role of Sangram in the series. To be honest, I was not keen at first when I heard about it because I was in the US at that point and they were about to start shooting in India in the next few weeks."

"You know I have done movie with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Haseena Parkar with Shraddha Kapoor and so I was looking for something different. But as soon as they said Ram Madhvani is directing it, I suddenly got interested because I had seen Neerja and was a big fan of his work. I know of him as a creator and someone I would love to work with. So, I tested for it and he got back to me saying they need a few more variations as at that time they were developing Sangram’s character. And so I did that, and after two rounds they zeroed down me for Aarya," he added.

What’s new to your character Sangram in Aarya 2?

"I have always thought of Sangram Singh as a hero. He might look like a villain, but he has done all the right things. Like he robbed drugged worth Rs 300 crore, and equally distributed among his other two partners. And in Aarya 2 also, he’s going to be a hero as well. We will get to see his wild, aggressive, and vulnerable side. Trust me, the show gets thrilling in the latest season."

How was your experience working with Sushmita Sen? What sort of rapport do you share with her?

"It was a delight working with her. To be honest, I never thought it’ll be this great to work with Sen. Careerwise, I can say, she has been the best co-star ever. She has been a super nice human being. There’s also a lot I learned from her. And off-screen also we gelled up so much, that she’s like a family to me. We both developed Sangram-Aarya in such a way, that they look like real siblings on-screen, and that’s the same camaraderie we had off-screen too." Aarya 2: Sushmita Sen Opens Up About Her Favourite Memory While Shooting the Scene Featured in the Motion Poster of the Series.

Aarya Season 1 was nominated for Emmys 2021? What was your reaction to this?

"I was shocked and didn’t believe my eyes. I had seen some glimpse somewhere about Emmys and I kind of ignored it, feeling it’s unreal. But then when I saw my google alerts, I was like oh shit. Then I started making calls and messaged Ram Madhvani. We also talked on the phone and I told him I was pleasantly surprised. I mean, getting nominated for international Emmy is out of the world."

Pick one - OTT or Silverscreen?

"It really depends on the kind of part. Honestly, I’m a hungry actor and would always look meat in the role. Whether it’s OTT or silver screen, if you have a great part to play, your work will be appreciated. I really don’t care whether it’s going on the big screen or OTT. Now, if u see, there is an audience for OTT, like my role in Haseena Parkar and Aarya, both got appreciated, there is no less or more."

What’s next after Aarya 2?

"After Aarya 2, you’ll see me on Crackdown Season 2 which is on Voot Select. Then I’m filming a movie with Ali Abbas Zafar which has Shahid Kapoor. Also, there are a couple of things I’m in talks with."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 09, 2021 08:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).