Versatility is a very important factor in an actor's resume: Nandish Singh Sandhu

An actor's journey may seem like its all fun and fame. While that is true in part, actor Nandish Singh Sandhu insists that it is more than those two components. He is of the belief that an actor must be versatile and that it is one of the main notches in an actor's resume. As an actor, the two most important things one must maintain are obviously their acting skills, and also versatility. For instance, an actor could play only positive roles for so long, before he/she or even the audience gets bored. His personal opinion is that one can't grow without taking risks.

Nandish has enjoyed a famed career for more than a decade now. Starting his journey as an actor from television, Nandish went on to do films and is right now focused on conquering the digital space. He says, "I want to do quality work. I don't mind doing any role, as long as it is challenging, it has substance and it gives me scope to perform."  

While Nandish had other acting projects under his belt, it was Uttaran in 2009, that catapulted him to literal worldwide fame. He played Veer Singh Bundela and is known for his role to date. Nandish won over a huge fan base, along with a lot of accolades in the form of awards for his portrayal of Veer in the show. He adds, "Uttaran will always have a special place in my heart. It not only gave me the foothold in the acting industry but also won me fans from across the seven seas."  

The next logical step up for Nandish was Bollywood. After quitting Uttaran in 2013 post an 18-year-leap, Nandish shifted focus towards the big screen. Nandish got his first Bollywood break in Super 30. He was cast as Hrithik Roshan's younger brother Pranav Kumar in the movie based on Mathematics teacher Anand Kumar, who coaches underprivileged students for IIT examinations. While the film was a success but received mixed reviews, critics were of the opinion that Nandish excelled in his performance in the film. Nandish's second outing in Bollywood was with Manoj K. Jha's Family of Thakurganj. He recalls, "It was a two-year wait period for me. But I am glad I did not give in to the pressure or even temptation. I wanted my Bollywood debut to be a surprise for my fans and Super 30 gave me just that."

After having done roles in television and films, Nandish then shifted focus to the digital space. He made his digital debut with SONY LIV's Undekhi Season 2, where he played Samarth, a grey character. A far cry from roles that he had done in the past, Nandish's performance was appreciated by one and all. "I have said it earlier too. Risks and rewards are proportionate. And I believe in taking risks." Ask him if he thinks Samarth was a risky character and he says, "Yes it was a risky decision but it paid off well as it’s been accepted well by the audience and is being appreciated. So it was worth taking the risk.”

While he revels in the success of Undekhi and Samarth's badass character, Nandish will next be seen in a Vikramaditya Motwane project. Nandish may have done selective work in the industry, but the risk-taker that the actor is, his funda has always been quality over quantity. He concludes by saying, "I want to be one of those artists who has done all sorts of genres, played all sorts of characters, worked with niche producers and directors. An actor gets into the profession because he gets to play someone he/she isn't. If an actor can't accomplish that, then what did they do?"