Ankur Rathee says Best Of The Best took him back to his college dancer days: “A version of myself I thought I had left behind”
Here's the latest update from the Bollywood world:
Rather than focusing on his Hollywood debut, which was revealed previously, the star has now opened up about his experience of playing Ronak, the charismatic and competitive captain of UCLA’s South Asian dance team.
Adding to this, For Rathee, the role offered an opportunity to revisit a part of his own college experience. The star was a member of South Asian and contemporary dance teams during his time at Princeton, and he drew from those experiences while portraying Ronak.
Meanwhile, “What made Ronak particularly exciting was the opportunity to revisit a part of myself I hadn’t accessed in years. I was a college dancer, I’ve lived the intensity of these teams, and I remember what it felt like to be 22 and believe that charisma could carry you through anything,” Rathee shared.
Notably, He added that playing someone significantly younger also required him to move away from some of the instincts he had developed over the years as an star. “The challenge was to strip away the restrained performance instincts I’ve developed as an star over the years and find that youthful arrogance, vulnerability and impulsiveness again. In many ways, Ronak took me back to a version of myself I thought I had left behind,” he shared.
As per the latest buzz, Rathee also spoke about bringing his experience of working in Indian cinema to a production rooted in South Asian culture. The movie features Bollywood-inspired dance sequences, Hindi dialogue and cultural nuances that were familiar territory for the star. He also dubbed his character in Hindi and Urdu for Netflix’s international rollout.
In further updates, Reflecting on the wider experience, Rathee shared, “I’ve spent the last decade building my career in India, working across movie and streaming, so this opportunity feels like a meaningful evolution rather than a departure from where I come from.”
On top of that, “To make my Hollywood debut with a movie that is so deeply connected to the South Asian experience makes it even more special. I get to take everything I’ve learned as an star in India and bring that perspective into a global production,” he added.
The star also recalled his journey to landing the role, which involved multiple rounds of auditions and chemistry reads with Maitreyi Ramakrishnan. Rathee shared the final chemistry read allowed the two actors to improvise beyond the script and helped establish the dynamic between their characters.
Source: Bollywood Hungama