‘Poacher’ star makes a hit
THRISSUR: 'Poacher', the miniseries streaming on Amazon Prime Video, has been receiving widespread applause since its release in February this year. The series based on elephant poaching, grabbed movie buffs’ attention for its storyline, visuals and cast. As the story is set in Kerala, Malayali actors also starred in the series, making it an instant hit in the southern state.
Thiruvananthapuram native Ankith Madhav, who played the role of Vijay Babu, the lazy forest officer who later becomes an inevitable character as the story moves ahead, has been on cloud nine ever since the release of the series. Through his appearances in numerous advertisements, including sharing the screen with M S Dhoni, Ankith is now a pan-Indian face.
Born and brought up in Kerala, Ankith carried his dream to be an actor since childhood. However, surrendering to societal and familial pressures, he pursued engineering and moved to Mumbai for a job.
“Practising in front of a mirror and challenging my own limitations helped me overcome my fear of cameras. Now, the camera is my best friend. As I lacked a godfather in the industry, I had to struggle a lot to prove myself. I was so obsessed with acting that I kept attending auditions and acted in ad films. It helped build professionalism in me,” he shared.
Before immersing into the field of cinema, Ankith pursued an acting course at Brian Timony Acting School in London. Though he made his debut through the Malayalam film 'Solo', it was the role in Madhavan-starrer 'Rocketry: The Nambi Effect' that garnered him a mark as an actor. Later, the role of Yogesh Yadav in Mammootty-starrer 'Kannur Squad' ensured a place for Ankith in the hearts of Malayalis.
However, the character of Vijay in 'Poacher' stood entirely different. “Acting in 'Poacher' was a learning lesson for me. I was initially auditioned for a short character named Babu. But later, Richie Mehta, the director of the show, decided to give me a big role,” he said.
With earning more attention for his roles, Ankith is all set to move on to the next projects, determined to keep the pace up.