With Hanuman Ansh emerging as one of the year’s surprise box-office successes, its 31-year-old lead Shobhinaw Satyaa has found sudden fame playing spiritual guru Neem Karoli Baba .
Now, I use Insta somewhat, but before the film’s teaser release I had hardly 2-3 posts and about 200 followers (now 225K). On his magical journey he says, “Everyone knows that from an assistant director, I landed in this role after the actor fell ill but the magic started 10 years back. So, I will not do what I am not as I won’t be able to do justice to it!
But the actor would rather remain an enigma: “People hardly know anything about me, and I want to remain like this and about my personal life details. I have a reserved nature! I prefer staying away from my mobile for hours. “I am a big fan of Amrish sir for how he kept his real life and voice hidden from public glare and kept it for the screen. I will keep following the path that Hanumanji shows – jahe vidhi rakhe Ram, tahe vidhi rehiye! His casting in Hanuman Ansh, directed by Dr Vishal Chaturvedi , was itself unexpected. I was assistant director in a student film Dhai Kalo by Vivek Kelkar in FTII , Pune and the lead actor got stuck and I did the lead role. Hanumanji ne then tab trailer dikhi thi ab puri picture dikha di. He reveals that not been approached by anyone till now. “I am not even thinking about it right now and focusing on how this film and Baba’s name can reach everyone and everywhere. I will surely experiment but apni maryada ka khayal rakhonga my whole life – any saint, culture or great Indian personalities. I can’t abuse and do violence on screen as in real life too. I don’t speak such language, nor do I smoke or drink and live a satvik life. “I joined Lucknow University but man nahi laga so did graduation from Faizabad University and simultaneously did acting course from Opulent School of Acting & Films in Lucknow and a small course at FTII, Pune. My father retired from the education department, mother has been a teacher, and I have a younger sister. They watched the film and had tears in their eyes. But, they roasted me in an interview saying ‘yeh ansoon baba ke liye hain, Shobhinaw ke liye nahi’.”
Satyaa says he takes inspiration from late actor Amrish Puri .
