‘Our battle’s going to be full-blown’

Model-turned-actor Sudhanshu Pandey is in the news these days. His tiff with Sanjay Gupta over a script that the director has allegedly stolen from him, has caused much furore in the industry. He doesn’t shy way from speaking about it. “Our battle is going to be a full blown one, I will fight till the end. The script is my baby, and I will fight for my rightful credit, no matter what it takes,” says Pandey who has filed a complaint with the Indian Film and Television Producers Council (IFTPC).

On the brighter side, the actor is all set to enter the show Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat. This time he will be seen essaying a completely negative role. “My character is out and out evil. The agenda is clear—I want the throne. Although the show is a period drama, I convinced the team that the look needs to be styled well. Take Game Of Thrones, for instance. Even though it is set in ancient England, the characters are well styled.”

We point out how sometimes taking creative liberties can get one in trouble, like it has happened in the case of Bajirao-Mastani, where the authenticity of the characterisation has been questioned by purists. Pandey says, “Fortunately, my character doesn’t have an immediate connect with history, so I can take certain liberties. If I were playing Akbar or Gandhi, then you couldn’t have ignored the historical facts.”