Ayushmann Khurrana portrays an undercover cop in Anubhav Sinha’s Anek. This is the actor’s second outing in a cop role. His first, as an upright IPS officer investigating a crime in a UP village, was in Article 15, also directed by Anubhav.
Talking about his character, Joshua, in Anek, Ayushmann said, “This is the first time the audience will see me in this avatar. I have played a cop before but this is the first time they will see me going undercover. Joshua in Anek is street smart and intelligent. He knows his way around people and can fight bad guys not only in a physical capacity but also with his great intellect. I was very pumped to try my hands at portraying Joshua as it gave me an opportunity to explore something I hadn’t done before. I owe it to my audience to offer them new experiences with each film.
Ayushmann adds that he had to work on his physical and mental skills to portray an undercover mole. “Right from his observation skills to his ability to combat the enemy, the character’s journey keeps one intrigued and gripped throughout. Also, the action sequences had to look real and raw to fit into the world of Anek and to portray what Anubhav had envisioned, I was inscribed with the right amount of guidance and training.”
Talking about the film and Ayushmann’s performance, director Anubhav Sinha said, “I am excited about Anek’s release as it has a lot in store for the audience. Ayushmann has put everything into portraying Joshua, there is no one else who could have done it better than him. Not only is he a great actor but he was pretty dauntless when it came to performing action as an undercover cop in the film.”
According to the makers, Anek is a political action thriller that “poses a larger question about what it truly takes to be an Indian above”. The film was shot across the North East.