Spin-offs are not really a trend in Indian entertainment. But when they do happen, it is a clear sign of success––for the show, and for the actor. Case in point: TVF’s 'Sandeep Bhaiya', a spin-off of the 2021 show, 'Aspirants'. Actor in question: Sunny Hinduja.
In the original series, he played mentor to the protagonist (Naveen Kasturia), a UPSC aspirant. Evidently, he made the right impression not just on his mentee, but also his audience. The first episode of the spin-off that dropped on June 30, has already garnered over 11 million views.
“I am humbled by the response. 'Sandeep Bhaiya' has a special place in my heart,” the actor says.
The eight-episode series traces the journey of the character from his childhood days in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, to finally cracking the UPSC examinations to become an IAS after multiple attempts.
Hinduja’s own acting trajectory, in a way, isn’t very different from Sandeep’s. Fraught with unprecedented obstacles, he has had his own share of struggles before getting a taste of success. An FTII-graduate, he was offered his first film, 'Cycle Kick' in 2011, when he was still a student. Even as roles continued to come his way, and he kept shooting, none of the projects saw the light of day, often due to budget constraints.
“During that phase, the patience and will to achieve something, or reach anywhere big in life had disappeared. All I wanted to do was to keep working and survive,” says the actor, who finally made a breakthrough in 2019 with Manoj Bajpayee’s 'The Family Man'. He played a junior agent in the show.
Since then, he has starred in a number of shows such as sports drama 'Inside Edge' and crime thriller 'Bhaukaal'. Like many of his peers, he has the OTT revolution to thank for turning his life around.
“I think it was the result of the tapasya we all had been doing through the years,” says the 37-year-old actor, who went on to be part of several films, including Rani Mukerji’s 'Mardaani 2' and 'Thai Massage', an Imtiaz Ali-production.
He was last seen in 'Shehzada' earlier this year, where he played the antagonist. The film did not fare well at the box office. For Hinduja, however, the opportunity to work with director Rohit Dhawan and actors Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon, was the biggest takeaway.
“It was made with a lot of love and that is what I have earned as well. I wish it had worked––that would have been a bonus––but a film’s performance at the BO is a different process altogether,” he states.
Hinduja now has the YRF show, 'Railway Men', in the pipeline as well as the second season of TVF 'Aspirants'.
“What I am seeking now are like-minded people who have the passion to go after what they want. I am the kind of person who feeds off people. I want to learn, grow and better myself and for that, I need good people and good scripts,” he says.
