Thakur Anoop Singh is a name that needs no introduction! From taking the centre stage in Romeo season 3, Dharmrakshak Mahaveer Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj to being part of hit south films like – Yajmana and Rogue; the dashing actor has dominated both the OTT space and the big screen. Thakur Anoop Singh will soon be seen as a lead in cyber-crime thriller – Controll. He will be seen sharing the screen with Rohit Roy.
Ahead of the film's release, we got in touch with the actor who enjoys massive fan following about his take on digital safety, online fraud, working with Rohit Roy and more.
Controll is inspired by true events around cybercrime and digital fraud. What was your first reaction when you read the script? Did you find it relatable?
I thought it was an interesting script and it was very relatable to play the character since every other man or woman these days has been a victim of cyber fraud or scams on small levels to bigger ones. I Thought it's very informative at the same time very entertaining for the audience to take home as an experience.
You're playing the lead in a cyber-crime thriller, which is quite different from your past roles in historical and South films. How did you prepare for this character?
I don't look for whether it is a lead or not, to me the character and its depth and trajectory or journey through the film matters to me. Having said that playing Abhimanyu was special as he had various layers to him in his personal life while being a thorough and disciplined army personnel. Since my grandfather was in army I recalled and picked up his nuances like the stance while leaning down my physique to don the uniform and also did many workshops to ease up and be more relatable to the audience.
Cybercrime is something almost everyone fears in today's world. How does Controll bring out the human side of this menace?
Controll brings out the emotion of a family when it's scammed and what happens after, to the peace within family or life after being destroyed by a cyber fraud. It triggers an emotional reaction along with technical ways of countering cyber-crime thus giving a perfect blend of tactical hunt down of the culprit and a thought-provoking closure in the end that makes us be careful about our privacy.
Given your own huge digital presence, what's your personal take on online fraud and digital safety? Has this film changed your perspective?
It has taught me to not trust any random link being sent by any known or unknown person. It has taught me to be careful of figuring out what's AI and what's real. With misusing deepfake and Gemini technology these days, or with scams like digital arrests happening around these days, it's very relatable this subject to the common man on what can go wrong in one's life.
The film also stars Rohit Roy. How was your on-screen dynamic with him, and what did you learn from sharing the screen?
He's a professional having worked more than 20 years now. Truly enjoyed working with him and knowing his journey and struggle story. He's the rival in the film but in reality, very chilled out and we got along very well. I learnt things from him that I'd like to use professionally in my career in future. Overall, a very professional and calm person.
