Abhilash Thapliyal has worn many hats in his career. From being a radio jockey, public speaker, writer, television host and social media personality, he has tried it all. Yet, it was his role as the calm and guiding Professor SK Sir in the popular series ‘Aspirants’ that made him a familiar name for audiences across the country.At TOI Dialogues-Uttarakhand Chapter 2025, Abhilash opened up about his journey. From growing up in an army family to chasing dreams in Mumbai, and eventually becoming an actor loved for his honesty on screen, his story is nothing short of inspiring.
Abhilash Thapliyal keeps his pahadi roots alive
Abhilash holds his pahadi roots close to his heart. Speaking about the connection, he said, “I make sure that everywhere I go, I take my mountain with me. I did a film called ‘Blurr’ with Taapsee Pannu. Ajay Behl was the director. We shot the entire film in Nainital. So I always make sure to have some of that connection.” For him, it is more than just a memory; it is a way of bringing a part of his home into every project he takes on.
Abhilash Thapliyal recalls his childhood as army kid
Abhilash recalled his childhood with pride. He said, “I did radio for 17-18 years. I am an army officer’s son. I was born in Jammu and Kashmir and raised all across, Gwalior, Gurdaspur, Jaipur, Delhi, just like every army kid. I always wanted to join the army, but the first form I filled out for the National Defence Academy got rejected. I got a response from there that no correspondence will be entertained. I had no other option.” This rejection changed his path, but it also opened doors to the creative journey he didn’t know he would one day embrace.
How he became an RJ during his college days
Abhilash revealed that his career in radio began during his college days. “Everyone used to tell me that I talk very well. During that time radio was still quite in India. So, I started doing radio when I was in college which was back in 2006-2007. But my family used to ask me a very strange question. You do radio, but what do you do for a living? It was very difficult to explain them.” Despite the doubts and questions, he kept going, following his love for talking and entertaining people.
Abhilash Thapliyal wanted to work in Kapil Sharma show
When he moved to Mumbai, acting was never the plan. Talking about his early days in acting, “I had no objective of acting. I always wanted to play characters in Kapil Sharma’s show. This was my objective, and for that, I used to do some weird, amusing things in back when I was in Delhi. During auditions, I used to wear a saree. I had an interesting character. His name was Muffler Man. He was a political satirist. I performed Muffler Man in front of director Amit Sharma and Manoj Bajpayee, and they told me that I should try something on screen. But I thought to myself they are making me a fool and I ignored.”
First film break happened after his marriage
Years later, life took a turn. He explained, “Years later, after my marriage, I was struggling with work a bit and that’s when I met Amit again and I got my first film with Taapsee Pannu and Saqib Saleem called ‘Dil Juunglee’. Although the film didn’t work I was proud of, I made a lot of friends because of it and then I started doing TV and eventually ‘Aspirants’ happened.” This marked the beginning of his acting career, and the start of a journey towards bigger projects.
Breakthrough role came with series ‘Aspirants’
It was the series ‘Aspirants’ that gave Abhilash recognition like never before. His role as SK Sir connected deeply with people. Success opened new doors. “After ‘Aspirants’, Anurag Kashyap came into my life and we did a film ‘Kennedy’, which was also premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.”For Thapliyal, this was proof that every small step, from a rejected NDA form, a college radio station, to Cannes with Anurag Kashyap, Abhilash Thapliyal’s story has been full of unexpected turns.
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