As his show Savdhaan India - Apni Khaki is all set to wrap up, Ankit Bathla, who is currently seen as Shiva Agnihotri, calls it the most exhilarating experience. The last episode will air on May 25.
Sharing his experience of working on the show, the actor said, “The season is wrapping up! I have a lot of memories that I’m very fond of—an experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I think it was one of the most exhilarating experiences for me. I’ve learned so much. As from Shiva Agnihotri, my respect for the police has gone up to a top notch, and the greatest takeaway from the show is to report and see anything happening around you, with you, or with people you care about. It’s important to have conversations so that nobody falls victim. And the most important thing is that the police are there for you, so always consider them your support system, your companions.”
Asked for the one toughest scene for him, he said that while he played the officer of the law on-screen, anything wrong or against the law would make him angry off-screen too. He said, “Whenever I would see the person playing the criminal in front of me, I would actually feel a rage of anger in my head. Therefore, all the scenes have been tough because it’s difficult to disassociate from Shiva and return to reality, as Ankit. Despite these challenges, there was one scene that we shot, which was a live location shoot, because it was all real. So there was a scene involving a speeding truck that Shiva had to run alongside. It was a very interesting experience because I literally had to run as fast as I could to match the truck’s speed.”
Ankit has received a lot of compliments for donning the Khaki uniform from his friends, family, and the audience alike. “I’ve received a lot of appreciation for my portrayal of Shiva Agnihotri, and I feel really blessed. I really worked out as much as I could at the gym and also trained in martial arts to embody the character. I’ve received great comments, with some even saying this is probably the show where I look the hottest,” he said.
What next? “I’m looking for something more interesting—something different from the roles like Shiva, I have always been portrayed as a broken-hearted boy or falling in love only for the girl who leaves him. So I would love to play a really intriguing character next, and I’m open to offers for TV serials and web series.”
