Ankit Mohan has spent close to two decades before the camera and on the stage. As he gets ready for Mahabali, a Broadway-style stage retelling of the Ramayana, he is treating the part of Bajrangbali as something larger than a performance.
In an exclusive conversation with Filmibeat days before the first show, the actor said he did not choose the role so much as the role chose him. The distinction matters because it changes how he prepares, how he handles comparisons and what audiences should expect when he walks on stage.
Devotion, not another credit
Ankit has played many parts in a career he pegs at almost twenty years. Asked about the religious weight of Lord Hanuman, he separated this character from ordinary fictional roles. “This is not a role… this is devotion,” he said.
He described himself as a Hindu who has seen the influence of Bajrangbali up close. He added that he is “happily surprised” by the growing wave of interest in Sanatan Dharma among young audiences, which makes the production feel timely.
Honesty over comparison
Ramayana retellings arrive with audience memory attached. Several actors have played Hanuman on screen and stage, and viewers have their favourites. Ankit’s own favourite is Dara Singh, whom he remembers as tall, broad and innocent, with a lasting impact.
Could that invite comparison? Ankit says he has not thought about it “100%”. His logic is that every artist brings a new form, a new way, a new emotion and a new approach. So he has kept his own preparation good and honest, rather than copying a previous Hanuman.
- No comparisons: every actor brings a new form and approach.
- His favourite Bajrangbali: Dara Singh, remembered as tall, broad and innocent.
- The preparation: months of rehearsal and living the character every day.
Why theatre raises the stakes
Film and television allow retakes; only the stage demands the moment be right the first time. Ankit says theatre’s advantage is preparation — months of rehearsal, living the character daily and putting in hours before facing an audience.
That does not mean mistakes are impossible. He said if something does go wrong, the performer’s job is to handle the situation. For a devotional character, that calm matters: a visible panic would break the illusion and the reverence in the room.
An immortal coincidence
There is a curious pattern in his career, he noted. He has played Ashwathama from the Mahabharata and now plays Bajrangbali. Both are figures remembered as immortal. “I don’t know what will happen next,” he said. It is the kind of trivia that makes the stage turn feel fated rather than planned.
What fans should watch for
For audiences, Mahabali is being framed as a devotional experience, not a star vehicle. That is a meaningful clue. Faith-based retellings are often judged before the first scene, and actors cannot rely on spectacle alone when the audience already knows the story. Ankit’s bet is on sincerity — a good, honest approach — and the discipline of live performance.
That is why the production matters beyond casting: it is a test of whether a Broadway-style presentation of the Ramayana can hold attention through conviction rather than imitation.
Source: Filmibeat