Sporting long locks and pepper beard lately, actor Anil George has emerged as a popular antagonist after being part of projects like Mirzapur, Uri: The Surgical Strike, Avrodh: The Siege Within and Cartel. With his memes doing rounds, George is loving every bit of the newfound fame and success. However, he feels getting typecast in a particular image can be risky in the long run.
“People often tell me that with my current look I will surely get typecast; someday Pakistan can claim I am their man, or I may be shot at after being mistaken for a terrorist, (laughs). But the fact is people are judging me on the basis of my present look and recent roles. I hope they also value the variations I bring to my characters which may apparently look same but are very much different from each other,” he says.
Though these comments do not matter to him much he surely ponders over it.
The actor explains, “The character of Lala in Mirzapur, Abu Hafeez in Avrodh…, Pak minister in Uri, Momen in Commando-3 or Khan in Cartel all had a different persona. I want show-makers to experiment with my looks and refresh my characters as it was done for films like Mardaani, Daas Dev and Miss Lovely. Currently, I have to maintain my looks due to several ongoing projects but soon I will don a new avatar.
George has been part of multiple films, but he feels OTT helped him reach wider audience.
“In my case both films and OTT have worked for me but I will admit after Mirzapur my work reached every household and it was due to that my previous roles were also noticed. Much before Mardaani, which gave me huge recognition, my film Miss Lovely where I played a central character with Nawazuddin (Siddiqui) got a lot of appreciation — besides going to Cannes and also winning best film award at Mami Film Fest. So, you can say good work was happening, but gained popularity a bit late.”
The actor has completed a web-series along with two films including Dybbuk, a remake of Malayalam film Ezra starring Emraan Hashmi. Besides, as of now he is shooting for a film in Dehradun.
Having shot multiple projects in Lucknow and Varanasi he has a memorable bond with UP. “I hail from Haryana, but I have spent many years studying in Tundla (near Agra) while putting up with my sister. As my brother-in-law was working in a tea factory there so it became my second home. I have shot Daas Dev, Babumoshai Bandookbaaz and Mirzapur in Lucknow and long back a DD serial in Bijnore.”