HYDERABAD : From working for Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited to working in a Telugu movie alongside superstar Nagarjuna, Mayank Parakh has come a long way. This engineer from Chhattisgarh plays a National Investigation Agency officer in the movie Wild Dog, which released in theatres today.Talking about working with Nagarjuna, Mayank gushes:
“I was mesmerised by him. In fact, the experience still appears surreal to me. When he saw me handling a gun in the wrong way, he chatted up with me and showed the right way to do it. He helped me become comfortable on the set.” Before this, Mayank appeared in a small role in the Adivi Sesh-starrer Goodachari. However, it was his portrayal of hostel warden Bala in the Amazon Prime series Laakhon Mein Ek that brought the actor recognition.Talking about how he dubbed for himself in Wild Dog, he says: “Since I have lived in Hyderabad for four years now, I was familiar with Telugu.
The director also arranged for a Telugu tutor to teach me the dialogues. I also had to get leaner for the role. With the help of my trainer, I shed 12 kg in two and half months. I play a guy who does not express much in this thriller about the Gokul Chat bomb blasts that shook the city in 2007.”
Before he made his acting debut, Mayank was a regular face in the city’s comedy circuit. He has performed stand-up comedy across the country, and has also dabbled in theatre. He has been part of more than 100 plays produced by city theatre groups like Samahaara and Sutradhar.
Talking about how the acting bug bit him, he says: “I was in Panjim when I saw an ad about a Paresh Rawal play. Being a fan of the movie Hera Pheri, I admired this actor a lot. I remember being spellbound by his performance, and this is what made me try my hand in acting. I went to Mumbai after that and landed a role in Laakhon Mein Ek.”
Journey from an engineer to actor
Mayank Parakh appeared in a small role in the Adivi Sesh-starrer Goodachari. However, it was his portrayal of hostel warden Bala in the Amazon Prime series Laakhon Mein Ek that brought the actor recognition. Before he made his acting debut, Mayank was a regular face in the city’s comedy circuit. He has performed stand-up comedy across the country, and has also dabbled in theatre
— Kakoli Mukherjee kakoli_mukherjee@newindianexpress.com @ KakoliMukherje2