Annup Sonii Opens Up: Here's Why I Quit Crime Patrol...
In his first interview after quitting Crime Patrol that made him a household name, Annup Sonii drops guard and gets candid EXCLUSIVELY with SpotboyE.com...
We are shocked that you quit Crime Patrol...
It was in the coming, but yeah maybe people didn't expect
it.
So how did you broach the topic of your exit with Sony?
Well, I had actually told them about it 3 months ago. My
agreement ends in April, so they suggested that I hang on till that time at
least-- which I thought was fair.
We will miss you in Crime Patrol...
But you will hopefully see me in many more avatars in
movies.
Anup Soni
Not on television?
I want to remain away from TV for some time. I want to
explore my acting talent and take it to the next level.
I want to do something daring and different. I wouldn't
mind another web series after Test Case, though. I loved shooting for this Ekta
Kapoor's web product. I came only after half of it is over but my role was so
well-defined and fleshed out. That's what I want even from movies.
Anup Soni Still From Test Case
Will you miss yourself on Crime Patrol?
Not really. As I said, I was doing the same thing again and again. How long
could I go on talking about murder, rape and property disputes?
Amar Upadhyay And Anup Soni
Who will replace you?
I really don't know. I don't even know if Sony is
thinking in terms of anchors in Crime Patrol now (pauses).
But I am proud of whatever I did in my 8 years. After
Crime Patrol, people knew me as Annup Soni and not as Mihir Virani of Kyunki
Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. People are calling me up to say that it will be
jarring to see anyone else in my place. That says a lot (pauses).
Go on...
See, I was not getting any time to take my acting career forward. I couldn't
take much leave as it was 5 days a week. That had started to play one me. So
before anybody could point a finger at me that my anchoring did not show
interest, wasn't it right that I kiss goodbye myself?
Were their days that they made you wait and you got fed
up?
No, in fact they had separate units for anchors. Once I
was on the set, I was always attended very promptly.
Anup Soni With His Wife Juhi Babbar
How many episodes did you complete?
1600+ episodes in 8 years. To be honest, I shall
always be indebted to Crime Patrol. It made me a brand. It gave me far more
than I bargained for.
Were there days when you forgot that you had worn the
shirt you were wearing, even 4-6 days back?
(Laughs) Let me tell you something funny and interesting.
There have been instances where I was wearing a shirt for a certain episode.
After that episode got telecast, I saw that a repeat was being telecast of a
recent episode with me wearing the same shirt!
Were you also getting bored?
To an extent, yes. Monotony creeps in if one tends to do the same thing day in
and day out especially if you are in TV or movies. You need to explore. You
need to experiment.
Maybe you would have hung on if you were doing just Crime
Patrol Satark and not Dial 100, as Satark is only on Sat and Sun...
That's a tough question, but the answer is 'maybe yes'.
Shivaji Satam And Anup Soni
You spoke of monotony. You should salute Shivaji Satam & Co for doing CID
for 21 years...
I do, but if you dwell deeper into that, he gets time off
from episodes to do something else that he wants. There are many episodes where
one of the CID members is not present.
Juhi Babbar
You are right. Next question. Was your wife (Juhi Babbar) in agreement with the
decision you took?
Yes, but why do you ask that?
Because TV gives a regular income...
You are right, but you are forgetting that my wife is from the acting
fraternity. She could understand what I was going through.
I repeat. We shall miss you in Crime Patrol...
(Laughs) I promise you that I won't disappoint you in
doing something that will make you sit up and you shall continue to be proud of
me. Touch wood.