It couldn’t have been easy to stand out in the populated universe of Pagglait (2021). But you can trust Ashutosh Rana to make his role memorable, regardless of his screen time. The actor infused pathos and vulnerability into his part as he played the grieving father who is grappling with the untimely demise of his son. Rana, a contender for the Best Supporting Actor (Male): Film trophy at the mid-day and Radio City Hitlist OTT Awards, admits that his part in Pagglait was challenging. “Here, most of the characters are vocal, but I had to convey my grief through silence. Mine is the only character that spoke little. My approach towards acting has been that words should be seen, and silences heard. If you crack that, the audience will never forget your performance.” 

The actor, who has been in the industry for over 25 years, is happy to see the evolution in content. “When I did Dushman [1998] and Sangharsh [1999], such films were considered off-beat. But now, everybody is experimenting because new avenues are available. It’s a golden time for actors.”