Ankush Salgotra is on its way to make big in Bollywood
Hailing from a small town, Bari Brahmana, Ankush has certainly made it big for himself. However this journey has been far from easy. He shares, "I was interested in sports and dancing in school. I have represented my state at national level in swimming and skating. However right from my childhood, I wanted to see myself on the big screen. Back then, I brushed off this thought thinking of it as one of my hundred dreams but couldn't erase it from my heart."
To put off the thought, Ankush developed an interest in dancing and was earning name and fame for himself in this field; however a major accident in 2006 put a full stop to this too. "I was on bed for one year during which the big screen got me intrigued very much. It was then that I decided to pursue my dream." As soon as his degree in computer science engineering was completed, it was no stopping for Ankush. He applied for admission in a famous acting school in Mumbai, which got approved and finally with the dream of seeing himself on the big screen, Ankush landed in the city of dreams and the ocean of opportunities, Mumbai in 2010.
Having enrolled into the well reputed Kishor Namit Kapoor Acting School, Ankush learnt the technicalities of the acting along with now famous Bollywood stars like Varun Dhawan and Arjun Kapoor. However as the stepped out of the school, the harsh reality awaited him. In his words, "As soon as I ventured out of the school to get work, I got to know why it is so hard to become an actor in Bollywood. I gave auditions after auditions in almost every studio in the city but didn't get work anywhere to my disappointment." He adds that he thought of returning back to his home but the dream of seeing himself in movies held him back.
After struggling for a year, the persistence finally paid off when Ankush got a short film namely 'Proud to be an Indian'. The film got appreciation from the critics and Ankush was praised for his work. The film did so well that it was showcased in Italy film festival and it opened new doors of opportunities for Ankush as he bagged 4 more short films in next 5 months. His talent was appreciated in other short films, 'Rang', 'Soul Mate', 'Stranger' , and the hugely popular 'Chapter: Love'.
Besides this, a new door of opportunities in modeling opened for him, thanks to his good looks and physique. He walked the ramp for the first time in the Vibrant Fashion Week-2012 and became the favorite of many famous designers. Ankush has walked the ramp for many big names including Priyanka Bansal, Arshi Jamal and Saharsh Habibi and considers this phase as one of the best things happened to him. He has been a hot-favorite of men jewellary advertisements, especially in Gujarat and has been regularly featured in various catalogues for a number of designers, all across the country. He has also been the launching model for a couple of local garment brands.
The big break for Ankush however came when Ankush was signed by Balaji Telefilms for a serial called 'Rakkt'. Based on mythological stories, Ankush played the character of a prince. Following "Rakkt" was another TV show, "Ye hain Mohabbatein" in which he played a powerful cameo. There was another talk show 'Rise and Shine with Sandhiya Mehhta', based on numerology and 'vaastu' which he hosted. His good work was rewarded very soon as he got his debut movie 'Tarana' in 2014. Directed by Sanjoy Mishra, Ankush played the character of Ramman Khanna, a CBI officer.
Ankush's character was appreciated critically by analysts and a dream come true for him. Soon after, his good work started making rounds of the B-town and he was signed for another movie by award winning director Sanjay Amar, which is completed but waiting for release. Ankush tells us about the movie, "the movie '19 January' was based upon the dreadful night of 19th January, 1990 when the Kashmiri Pandits were exiled from the valley. I had the opportunity to work with super talented actors liked Deepti Naval and K.K.Raina. My character in the movie has two different shades, one of a decent and sober college going student and another of a fanatic rebel." He was last seen in "Doli Armaano Ki" on Zee TV. Besides mainstream movies, short films, Television serials and modeling, Ankush has also done many commercials for big brands like Amul, Mahindra and Mahindra, etc. In his last TV commercial for Mahindra and Mahindra for its new utility vehicle, Ankush was seen with 'Bahubali' famed south superstar, Prabhas. Telling us about his upcoming projects, Ankush says, "I have signed a movie namely 'Jhilmil', shooting for which will begin soon. Next year, I will be going to Australia for commercial shoots for 2 big brands, one of which is a famous international beverage brand. I have also almost finalized on a new TV serial, which would be based on Sherlock Holmes and his adventures."