Rushad Rana left quite an impression on the audience when he played the role of Anirudh in Rajan and Deepa Shahi’s Anupamaa. Though he thoroughly enjoyed playing it, he said it was a challenge for him since the character was opposite of what he is in real life.
“Anirudh was not quite like what I am in real life. He was a very sarcastic character, constantly mocking his wife, Kavya, and trying to create problems between her and Vanraj. This didn’t resonate with the character because I am nothing like that in real life. But yes, that made the character more challenging for me, because it’s always challenging to portray someone on screen who is not like you,” he said.
He bagged the role through an audition and said that despite his character having some gray areas, it was loved by people. In fact, people still ask him when he will be back on the show. He hopes the makers bring him back, and said, “Anupamaa has been a very special show for me. It brought me back into the limelight. Before COVID, I was continuously working, but nothing exciting; I was just trying to survive, doing some cameos and episodic roles here and there. Then COVID happened, and we didn’t know what would happen with the world or the industry. But eventually, things started opening up.”
“Anupama was the first audition I gave during COVID, and it was the first show I did after COVID, so it will always remain a very special role and show for me. It revived my career in the industry. Additionally, it’s special because that’s where I met my wife, Ketki. We didn’t fall in love on set; that happened much later. But noticing her on the set and seeing how lovely she was, we found common ground, and that’s why we gelled well so fast,” he added.
Rushad had a great experience working with Rajan and his team, and he said, “Rajan Sir is a visionary and a fighter. He treats his work like it’s divine; he worships. I have seen him work passionately for whatever he does, and his never-give-up attitude is why he is the kind of producer and creator he is today.”
“He’s one of the finest producers we have in the industry. My experience working with him and DKP has been excellent—flawless, it’s a lovely production house, great people, and an enriching experience in my life,” he added.
Even though Rushad is no longer a part of Anupamaa, he is very happy for its success. “I still consider myself a part of the show, even though I’m not shooting for it anymore. I am very fond of Rupali (Ganguly) and Sudhanshu (Pandey). I’ve worked very little with Gaurav, but he’s also an amazing person to work with. Of course, I miss the rest of the team. I hope to work with them again soon, and my good wishes are always with that team. I hope Anupamaa remains the number one show for a long time to come. Congratulations to them,” he shared.
