Indian actor Anupam Tripathi, 33 years old, has become famous through the Netflix series “Squid Game” (by director Hwang Dong Hyuk).
Not only has Anupam Tripathi been praised for his performances with the main characters in ‘Squid Game’, but he has also received favorable reviews for his acting skills and gained a lot of attention on SNS. Regarding his popularity, Anupam Tripathi said, “I feel blessed. It’s good to see my whole family feeling happy and proud. Many people were happy as if it was their job, so they have given me more strength.”
Released on the 17th of last month, “Squid Game” is a 9-episode drama that tells the story of people who risk their lives participating in a mysterious survival game to become the last winner of the 45.6-billion-won prize. After its release, the drama ranked No.1 on the list of Netflix’s “TOP 10 TV program” in all countries, including Korea and the U.S. “Squid Game” has also topped the Netflix of 79 countries around the world for 15 days, proving that the public’s interest in ‘Squid Game’ content and the syndrome-level popularity of the drama are still rising.
Anupam Tripathi plays the role of Ali, a Pakistani migrant worker. An accident occurred when he was working in Korea. After the boss refused to pay him and he was pushed to the edge of the cliff, Ali left his wife and child then joined the “Squid Game”. Ali is the only foreigner who participated in the “Squid Game”. He received much support and love from the viewers for his tragic story with Cho Sang Woo (Park Hae Soo) and his kind-hearted action towards the main character Sung Ki Hoon (Lee Jung Jae).
Anupam Tripathi was born in India and had been an actor in Delhi for 5 years. In 2011, he entered the Korea National University of Arts and started acting in earnest. After making his debut in the movie “Ode to my family” (2014), he has played some small roles in various works, such as, “Asura”, “Luck-Key”, “Space Sweepers” and “The 8th Night”. Recently, he expressed his desire to take on more roles in Korean films in the future. He confessed, “I can speak 3 languages, Korean, Hindi, and English. I want to do 3 times harder and challenge myself with more roles”.
He also gave some impressive answers. When asked if he would feel sad if there were limited characters for him in Korean content, he answered, “Although Ali has some similarities with the roles I have played before, I think characters from similar backgrounds still exist in different contexts, different times, different films.”. He added, “It’s like you are the only unique person in this world.”
He said, “I’m happy to be recognized as an actor by many people”. In addition, more interesting stories are also told in the interview with Anupam Tripathi below.
- You are from India but graduated from Korea National University of Arts, which is also a part of the reasons why you are in the middle of such attention. Everyone is curious about the reason why you came to Korea and started your career at the Korea National University of Arts.
Actually, before coming to South Korea, I’ve already worked as an actor for about 5 years in Dehli. My parents and my family were very worried that I decided to choose this acting career. They kept on convincing me to study, go to a good college and get a good job.That’s why I left my house, wanting to be able to learn about acting. A friend of mine had recommended to me the AMA scholarship of Korea National University of Arts. After listening to him, I did my best and tried to apply for that school. The moment I got accepted, my parents were extremely happy and rooted me on. Then I went to Korea and started to study acting professionally.
- Did you originally want to be an actor?
I actually like standing on stage or in front of other people, especially when they see and enjoy my performance or when I’m able to deliver the characters’ emotions perfectly. I started theater acting in 2006. At that time, I got the chance to join the “Spartacus” as a gladius. It came to me that to be a character and get to meet the audience standing on stage is charming to me. that must be when I started.
- When Koreans appear in other countries’ content, they often express that the role spectrum is not very wide. As a foreigner, the choices of roles may not be wide for you, but we all wonder why you still decide to work in Korea. Is there a thirst to challenge more roles in the future?
As an actor, I have a desire to play various roles. But I’m still doing my best for all of my previous roles. First of all, if we talk about Ali’s character, there are parts similar to the roles I have played before. However, I think characters from similar backgrounds still exist in different contexts, different times, different works. Just like how there’s only 1 “you” in this world. I have thought a lot about what would make Ali’s personality unique and tried my best to convey that as well as possible.
- We are also curious about Anupam’s future activities. What are your plans for activities beyond the Korean border?
I can speak 3 languages: Korean, Hindi, and English. I want to challenge 3 times more roles, but in mean times, I want to expand myself in the Korean film industry first.
- What’s the biggest difference since “Squid Game”? We also wonder what kind of work is “Squid Game” is, for you?
I’m glad that many people now know about me as an actor. I think “Squid Game” will remain an unforgettable memory for me.
- What kind of actor do you want to be remembered as? Have you ever thought about your goal and the ultimate reason of an actor?
In the “Squid Game”, I’m thankful and happy that the audience sincerely treated me not as an actor, but as the character Ali. I think the main goal of an actor is to make a character communicate well with the viewers. therefore, I want to be remembered for the works I participated in and the roles I played rather than myself.
Source: Insight
