NEVER BACK DOWN!

It's the hope that doesn't let a struggler give up and that’s how the story of Deepankur Batra goes. Born and brought up in Hauz Khas, he’s 25 years old now and hasn’t given up his dream of becoming an actor. He rather lives it with absolute vigour.

Deepankur, very handsome and extremely expressive, dreamt of becoming an actor since toddlerhood. And yes, it is so evident in what he’s today. He always enjoyed entertaining people. “I used to take part in dramas and dance shows since the time I was in school. Making people laugh or even bringing that little smile on their faces would give me a feeling of utter contentment,” tells the very outgoing Deepankur.

This was the time when he decided not to look back ever. Trying to recall his childhood experiences of acting and getting nostalgic, he adds, “I remember this incident when I was in class 12 and had to perform in a play as the lead actor. I fractured my right arm but did not put the plaster on just because I didn’t want to spoil the act. So, I did it with my broken arm and we still managed to win. All these little things really proved to be morale-boosting.”

Making a career in acting and that too in a city like Delhi is surely not a cake walk. It involves a lot of hard work and most importantly, one needs to trust himself. In the process of his work the struggler gets cheated by unscrupulous elements, is exploited, tolerates insults and even goes hungry when his financial resources run dry. There are only a few people who continue to work dedicatedly and strive through all the hurdles and obstructions. Deepankur is an epitome of such ability and goodness.

He belongs to a middle class family. His father runs a shop in Hauz Khas and always wanted Deepankur to assist him just like his elder son. Choosing an offbeat career and sticking to his own decisions has not been easy for him. By deciding to become an actor he had to go through a lot of pressure from the surrounding people. He’s lived a very hard life, a life full of tantrums but strived through all the difficult times courageously and fearlessly.

An alumnus of Laxman Public School and a graduate from Bhagat Singh College, Delhi University clearly loves each and every part of theatre. Soon after his graduation, he went out in search of some interesting roles. “I met a lot of casting directors in Delhi and gave numerous auditions. I came across a few casting agents who tried to manipulate actors or exploit them for their own benefits. This was the time when I decided to move to Mumbai, but had to return with a broken heart after finding the same scenario there as well. I never wanted to give up my dream and hence started taking up offers in Delhi at very low wages.”

This great artist has got a lot of experience in theatre. At the tender age of 17, he performed in the play 'Good Bye Blue Sky' which bagged the national award for the best play. It was then that he got into other theatre groups and worked with Vivek Mansukhani, Sohaila Kapoor, Kuljit Singh, and Revathy Venkatraman. Whilst working with such renowned artists, he also started getting small commercial projects in Delhi. He also did a supporting role in the English film, 'Curry Munchers' which was released in Australia and New Zealand. He has also appeared in 4 commercial ads, one of which is presently on air and played one of the characters in Saavdhan India. It is after so many small ventures that he got to be a member of the production team for a Bollywood movie which is yet to be released and has now bagged the role of the main character in an ongoing series of a well-known television channel. Associated with one of the international theatre groups in Delhi for last 6 years, he did limited but quality work in theatre and production.

 A true admirer of Dilip Sahab, he totally is a self-made man and feels blessed that he has got parents, a brother and an amazing grandfather who had faith in him. All four of them are his strengths. With eyes full of emotions Deepankur quotes what his dadaji used to tell him,

“Always take your hobby as your profession. And you’d definitely succeed in fulfilling all your desires.”

Apart from acting, he exercises vigorously in order to keep himself fit and loves to play badminton. He aspires to become a world-class actor and plans to move to Mumbai permanently.