Ishwak Singh in a still from Rocket Boys. Actor Ishwak Singh’s life has “drastically changed” ever since the release of his debut web show Pataal Lok. It is his performance in the crime thriller as Imran Ansari, Hathiram’s junior, that landed him up on the set of his upcoming web series, Rocket Boys. The SonyLIV show takes a deep dive into the lives and works of India’s ace nuclear physicists Dr Vikram Sarabhai (Ishwak Singh) and Dr Homi J. Bhabha (Jim Sarbh).
“I got into the spotlight only after Pataal Lok. I am grateful for that opportunity. The biggest happiness is people got aware of the skill set I have. Pataal Lok got me into prominence. Someone saw something in me in Pataal Lok which is why Rocket Boys came to me. It’s great to know people understand your strengths and how you function,” Ishwak shared.
Ishwak Singh in Pataal Lok. He has earlier played supporting roles (Veere Di Wedding, Aligarh, Malaal, Tamasha) in many films, which he credits for becoming the actor he is today. He shared, “It’s learning by doing. The time spent on film sets is a great part of my journey and learning. That’s what gave me the means to deliver Pataal Lok and now Rocket Boys. I wouldn’t have been in the same position as I am today five years back or even two years back.”
In Rocket Boys, Ishwak is playing a real-life character for the first time. To play Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the actor had to ensure “the essence of that person is not lost.” Explaining how it is different to play a real-life role, the actor said, “In fictional roles, there are some liberties which you can take, but here the leeway is less. Here you have to study the character, who was he, get to know him, what he stood for, what he used to make of his scientific knowledge. But you also don’t have to play him by the textbook. You just have to be more careful and commit yourself to the character.”
Working on Rocket Boys was a “creatively daunting and an emotional” experience for Ishwak. He has attached himself so closely to the web show that he feels he is “going to cry while watching a few scenes”.
Ever since Ishwak began his acting career in 2013, he has worked with some great talents like Manoj Bajpayee, Jaideep Ahlawat, Ranbir Kapoor, and while sharing the screen space with them, he has learnt a lot. Now, another addition to the list is Jim Sarbh.
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Sharing his experience of working with Jim, Ishwak noted that Jim is a ‘great asset to the industry’. He said, “I have learnt a lot from him while doing the show as he gives so much to the role. He would discuss how is approaching a scene and how is he living that moment. He just keeps talking which is a great thing. He is very giving, and you are constantly growing when you are working with an actor like that. He made some great suggestions while shooting which the director found so interesting that he actually used some of those suggestions. He is a great asset to the industry.”
Rocket Boys will start streaming on SonyLIV from February 4.
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