Covid-19 pandemic has made me value each moment of life: Ashish Vidyarthi

Ashish Vidyarthi also spoke about his upcoming series 'Sunflower'

Noted actor Ashish Vidyarthi says that the Covid-19 pandemic has helped him understand the value of life and encouraged him to evolve as a performer.

"The experience has made me realise the value of each and every minute of life. It has also given me an opportunity to grow as a performer and learn things. An actor is a living persona and learning is important," he told DH in an exclusive interview.

Vidyarthi began his acting career with a supporting role in the Kannada movie Anand, which hit the screens in 1986. He subsequently turned his attention to Bollywood and carved a niche for himself with his sincere performances. Some of his notable films include 1942: A Love Story, Iss Raat Ki Subah Nahi, Bhai and Daud. The star won the National Award for 'Best Actor in a Supporting Role' for his work in the critically-acclaimed movie Drohkaal.

Vidyarthi added a new dimension to his career by venturing into Telugu and Tamil cinema. He was part of major Tamil films such as Rajinikanth's Baba and the Vijay-starrer Ghilli. The veteran won the SIIMA award for 'Best Actor in a Negative Role' for his work in the Telugu film Ala Modalaindi.

Vidyarthi has also been part of Malayalam and Bengali movies.

"Working in languages that I was not familiar with made me realise that the challenge was to make the part believable. The experience made me more alert. I consider it as riaz (practice)," he said.

This desire to constantly push his limits is perhaps what encouraged Vidyarthi to give the nod to his upcoming web series Sunflower, which features the actor in a new avatar.

"This is set in a realm that I have not explored before and allowed me to do a detailed character study," said Vidyarthi.

Sunflower is backed by Vikas Bahl and has an impressive cast that includes Varun Grover and Ranvir Shorey. The crime-comedy is slated to premiere on Zee5 on June 11.