Anupamaa actor Sudhanshu Pandey on playing Hulk in Marvel’s Wastelanders: Doom | Interview

The latest instalment of Audible OriginalMarvel’s Wastelanders audio series dropped recently and it has been in the news for its captivating storyline. Fighting off evil for a greater good, Marvel’s Wastelanders is a story we’ve seen many times before but loved every time it’s been adapted. We got talking to actor Sudhanshu Pandey who plays the role of Hulk in Marvel’s Wastelanders: Doom.

Here are the edited excerpts of the chat:

Q: The audio medium has picked up in the recent few years, with more listeners tuning into podcasts and audiobooks. Are you interested in this, too, as an audience?

Add WION as a Preferred Source

A: Well, from my generation, I would say that I would always be more interested in audio-visual mediums. But since this generation has picked up audio entertainment so well, I can see that this is the future and maybe I get hooked on it at some point in time myself.

Playing Hulk: A dream come true

Q: What was it like prepping for the role of Hulk?

A: The role came as a blessing to me. I have been a Hulk fan for as long as I remember. I always dreamt of playing Hulk and this was a dream come true. I know what kind of mindset a superhero like that would have. But definitely voice modulation and everything sort of prepared me with the help of director Mantra in the studio. We worked out how and what to do with the voice and at what point.

Q: Hulk enjoys fandom all over the world. How do you interpret the role? Who is Hulk for you?

A: Of course! The kind of power Hulk has, obviously, he has a lot of fans like me all across the globe. His power is his anger and it can come in handy in today's day and age where there's so much unnecessary war, terrorism and negativity. I think if there's a superhero like Hulk, he could just get angry and come and smash all the negativity out of this world.

Watch Ashish Vidyarthi's Interview for Marvel's Wastelanders: Doom

Controversy around quitting Anupamaa

Q: You were recently in the news for quitting Anupamaa. The show enjoys a lot of TRP. Do you miss being a part of it? Was there any truth in the rumours of the set being toxic?

A: I quit Anupamaa after four years. For four years, I gave my all into that show, into that character of Vanraj Shah. I think it was time for me to move on. For an actor, it is very important to realise when you are done with the character and I did, especially on television, because you're playing it for such a long time. I detached myself from that role because I needed to grow as an actor.

I needed to play other characters. I needed to experiment with other platforms too. It was time for me to move on. I do miss the people around there. I do miss having fun with them. But I guess that is life. You've got to move on when you've got to move on.

Q: What did you like the most about Vanraj on the show?

A: The best thing about Vanraj was that he was a character I could play around with. As an actor, I had the freedom to be able to play around with the character as I wanted. I could give him different shapes, and sizes with his behaviour, with his emotions. It was not author backed and that was the best part.

Q: What do you enjoy the most – films, TV or OTT?

A; Every medium is the same - television, OTT, films. An actor has to act everywhere. I enjoy it all. As long as I'm playing a good character, I enjoy it.

Upcoming projects

A: What's next on TV? Can you discuss your future projects?

A: Apart from the comeback of Band of Boys, I am doing something else which is going to be on OTT but I cannot speak about it right now. I am not at liberty to speak about it, but hopefully soon. It is something very interesting, something big and something that people will definitely look forward to.