Actor Sudhanshu Pandey was recently seen on the reality show The Traitors, where he emerged as one of the top five contestants alongside Uorfi Javed, Nikita Luther, Harsh Gujral, and Purav Jha. He recently opened up about going through a dark phase while shooting for Anupamaa, in which he portrays Vanraj Shah, a complex and grey character.
Sudhanshu admitted that it is difficult for actors to come out of a dark phase after playing a character. He told Bollywood Bubble, "I have touched upon certain spaces where it’s been hard for me to get back to normal on an immediate basis. It takes a little time—maybe a few days sometimes. That’s why, in Hollywood, you hear of actors like Dustin Hoffman who played certain characters and had to go to rehab for a few months afterwards. So yeah, you’ve got to be willing to take that risk, you know? And for an actor, I think… You need to know where to draw the line when you’re playing a certain character."
Further, Sudhanshu shared that as someone who considers himself a very balanced person, he is aware of his ability to enter a dark space and come out of it. He admitted that he does get affected, and during Anupamaa, he tapped into some dark emotional spaces, which hit him hard and took a toll on him
"I’ve even had to take medication for pain and aches sometimes, because I’ve gone so deeply into the character. But that’s just how I am as an actor. I don’t care whether it’s television or OTT—I give my 100% to everything I play," added the actor.
Sudhanshu quit Anupamaa midway in 2024 after being part of the show for four years, although he did not reveal the exact reason behind his exit.
