Ankit Siwach is done waiting for the right part to arrive. The actor, seen recently in Farhan Akhtar’s 120 Bahadur and the series Heartbeats, has launched his own banner, Aquatur Studios, and is financing a feature that begins with a schedule on the ghats of Benaras.
A role he built himself
Siwach did not just step behind the camera. He says he shed 20 kg to fit the character, and he has put his life’s savings into the production. He described the move as taking charge of the journey rather than waiting for the Hindi film industry to create the opportunity.
“I have put everything into this film,” Siwach said, describing it as an investment of years of learning, belief and sacrifice rather than money alone. The actor added that he would rather take that risk on a story he genuinely believes in than spend his career waiting for the right call.
Not a first-time producer
Aquatur Studios is new, but production is not entirely unfamiliar territory. Since 2019, Siwach has backed the travel show Safarnama, along with commercials and music videos, and he has assisted directors going back to his early years in Mumbai.
The difference now is scale and personal exposure. A feature film is a costlier and longer commitment, and with his own money involved, the result will carry both his acting and his producing instincts.
What is on his slate
- New production: Aquatur Studios launches with an untitled passion project that starts in Benaras.
- Physical prep: Siwach shed 20 kg for the part, before a single day of principal photography.
- Acting next: He is set for a villain role in Ritesh Shah’s JioHotstar thriller Dhaai Chaal.
Why it matters for fans
Self-backed projects have a long history in Hindi cinema. From actors producing films to control casting and storytelling, to creators using OTT demand for mid-budget ideas, the route lets talent test a vision without waiting for someone else to approve it. Siwach’s move is a personal version of that logic: the investment buys him the role, the story and the risk.
This is the kind of move that gives audiences a clearer sense of what an actor wants to say. When a performer funds a project himself, the film becomes a direct pitch: these are the stories he wants to tell and the parts he believes he can carry. For Bollywood watchers, the Benaras shoot and the physical transformation make the debut worth tracking.
Siwach’s comments suggest he is not asking for a guarantee. He said he wants a fair chance for the work to speak for itself — and now he has created the vehicle to prove that.
Source: Filmfare