From a theatre actor to a bankable actor in films, OTT and television, Chandan Anand has carved out a unique space for himself in Indian entertainment. In his latest television venture, Chandan has stepped into one of the most iconic and frequently adapted villain roles in Indian history—Shakuni—in Sony SAB‘s Hastinapur Ke Veer, produced by Peninsula Pictures.

Talking about Shakuni’s part in the formative years of the princes, Chandan says, “With the children, Shakuni tries to be more of a friend, much like that fun uncle many of us have in our lives… Whenever the children come to him with questions or concerns, he sees it as an opportunity. Those moments allow him to subtly influence their thinking and steer situations in the direction he wants.”

The conditioning of greed doesn’t start in adulthood; it begins in adolescence, masking itself as a drive to succeed. “Shakuni’s planning was about planting seeds in their thoughts and gradually changing their entire vision about how power, greed and money are more important than the other values of life… If you look at society today, parents often teach children to achieve, to be winners, to be powerful and to earn more money. In a way, this is what Shakuni was teaching them,” he adds.

Speaking about playing the iconic character of Shakuni, which has been played by eminent actors before, he says, “Paintal Sahab, Praneet and many others have played Shakuni brilliantly. They have taken this character to such a level that it almost feels impossible to imagine playing it again. But that is also the beauty and greatness of this craft. Art can grow, evolve and take new forms.”

Having navigated theatre, films, and OTT, Chandan admits that experienced actors often carry a heavy bag of tricks. He rates his young co-stars a perfect 10 out of 10, noting that they gave him the ultimate reminder an artist needs. “Working with these kids is a great learning process because, after years in the industry, we start collecting philosophies, techniques and methods… These children don’t think about any of that. They perform from the heart and remain playful. After working for 25–30 years, that is something you can truly learn from them.”

In an industry obsessed with labelling actors as TV stars, OTT faces, or Film actors, Chandan gives his take. “I don’t really look at platforms in terms of television, web or films. I see a camera, a script and a performance… I work with anyone who gives me good roles and allows me to earn a living because, at the end of the day, I simply want to act.”

Lastly, on his expectations, he says, “I don’t have any expectations. I want to justify the character. I am an entertainer, and my responsibility is to entertain my audience. This role is like any other role in that sense. However, because it is the Mahabharat, I have a responsibility to do justice to the character.”