Actor inside me was restless: Anup Soni on moving to films

Pic Courtesy: TV show still

Mumbai: Popular TV actor Anup Soni says he has taken a "selfish call" to do movies as the big screen space is more exciting today. 

Soni, who has been the face of crime drama series "Crime Patrol" for about nine years, has bid adieu to the show to focus on his film career. 

He admits the show helped him earn credibility and respect as an actor.

"The (hosting) stint went on for long. The show became popular and I did not think it will run this long. I am focusing on films now. 

"The actor inside me was restless and I wanted to focus more on acting. I had to take this call, it was a selfish call as an actor," the actor told PTI. 

It was during the last quarter of 2017 that Soni decided to leave the small screen. 

Fortunately, at the same time, he says, he got Ekta Kapoor's webseries "The Test Case". 

"I was somewhere missing acting in films. I requested makers that I would like to focus on films and they were ok with it. They wanted me to complete my contract that ended this March-April." 

In the past, Soni has been a part of films such as "Gangaajal" and "Aparahan". He also did a film called "Yeh Hausla", which did not release. 

"People often used to say to me that they thought I was busy with TV and did not want to do films. There are some offers that I wished I could have somehow managed and done it. I can't take the names. But what is gone is gone."

Today, Soni, 43, says he wants people to know that he is open to working all mediums - be it feature films, short films and on the digital platform. 

Soni will next be seen sharing screen space with Sanjay Dutt in "Prasthnanam", a remake of a Telugu political thriller film. 

He says initially he had concerns about how his role would pan out in the film. 

"I was returning to the big screen after a long time and the role and its length matters to you," he says. 

"The director told me to watch the Telugu film. I got to know that I play a crucial role," he adds.