Odisha-born Shubhankar Das has starred in several Hindi TV serials and movies, including Akshay Kumar-starrer Rustom. Of late, he has earned kudos from film-goers for his power-packed performance in the latest crime thriller Chidiya Udd.
The web series Chidiya Udd revolves around Seher (played by Bhoomika Meena), a young woman who finds herself caught in a conflict involving criminals. The Rajasthani woman faces the harsh realities of life in a red-light district in Mumbai.
In the web series, Jackie Shroff steals the spotlight as Qadir Bhai, exuding menace and an enigmatic charm that makes him unforgettable. Bhoomika Meena delivers a powerful performance as Seher, capturing both strength and vulnerability with remarkable authenticity while Shubhankar plays Gafoor, nephew of Qadir. His performance in the thriller Chidiya Udd has been appreciated by film critics.
In an exclusive conversation with Ommcom News, Shubhankar, the nephew of renowned theatre actor-director Robin Das, talks about his role in the web series.
“Looking back on my journey as an actor, I would like to recall how it all began. While pursuing engineering at Seemanta Engineering College, a friend encouraged me to participate in our college’s youth talent fest. I took part in skit competitions and won prizes at Euphoria and Rota Fests, which boosted my confidence as an actor”, he recounted.
He continued: “After completing my engineering course, I planned to move to Bangalore for a job. However, my father had other plans and asked me to go to Delhi instead. During my stay with my uncle Robin Das in Delhi, I spent my free time watching plays at the National School of Drama (NSD). I gradually became involved in theatre and landed opportunities to act as a guest artiste in several NSD plays. Before I knew it, I had developed a strong passion for acting and decided to pursue it as a career.”
It is pertinent to mention that his uncle is an alumnus of the National School of Drama and actors like KK Raina, Pankaj Kapoor and Ranjit Kapoor were his batch mates. He was also part of the faculty there and taught people like Manoj Bajpayee, Atul Kulkarni, Seema Biswas, Irrfan Khan, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mukesh Tiwari, and Rajpal Yadav among others.
“My uncle used to stage plays whenever he visited our village on vacation. Though I loved watching those plays, I was never passionate about acting,” says Shubhankar who has showcased his acting talent in episodic serials like Crime Patrol, Savdhan India, and Masal apart from plays. He has featured in movies like the Akshay Kumar movie Rustom, Kangana Ranaut-starrer Mental Hai Kya and Sanjay Mishra-starrer Kamyab are among his movies. However, he grabbed public attention after doing a short film titled Mukti with Kirti Ali Productions.
Talking about his character in Chidiya Udd, Shubhanakar said, “Kadir Bhai(Jackie Shroff) is the king of the redlight area Kamathipura. He decided to make a competition between his son Akram and his most trusted man Baburao who once saved his life. Whoever wins the challenge he will get whatever he wants from Kadir bhai. Gafoor is my character’s name. I am Akram Bhai’s right hand. Gafoor loves his uncle very much that’s why he joined the gang. His uncle also loves him for which he also guides both his son Akram and Gafoor to do the right things. But Gafoor is very ambitious and honest. Gafoor’s unexpected death leads to a gangwar. For rest, you have to watch the full movie.”
Theatre holds a special place in Shubhankar’s heart, and he credits it to his growth as an artist. “Theatre has been my grooming ground,” he says.
“It has not only boosted my confidence but also taught me valuable lessons that have shaped me into the person I am today,” signed off Shubhankar.
By Rashmi Rekha Das
