1. Tell us about your background and journey.
I am Originally from Delhi - the capital of India. I come from very humble family background. My family is traditional as well as modern at the same time & so am I. So, its a combination of East & West. The journey started when I was in college pursuing tool (mechanical) engineering from Delhi Institute of Tool engineering.
While I was studying, there was an opportunity that offered free portfolio pictures to be clicked. I was encouraged by my friends to grab this opportunity and when the pictures came, they were highly impressive. My friends kept saying that I looked like a 'Star', a 'celebrity' and motivated me to try my luck in this industry of acting and modelling.
That was the turning point. I distributed my pictures to various agencies and I chanced upon a modelling assignment, wherein I was adorning a Sherwani for one of the renowned companies. The ad was a hit and my hoardings were up in town across various popular hubs. I grabbed the attention of various agencies and companies alike who approached me to be their brand ambassador/ model for their products.
Soon, my interviews and articles were getting published in various esteemed magazines and leading newspapers and I was described as 'Smitten by success, he is engineering to make it big.' While modelling assignments were keeping me on my toes, I participated in a unique quiz program titled "Challenge the Master" for Doordarshan channel.
As luck would have it, I won the show as a challenger and also bagged to be the master. Parallelly, I was also working as an anchor for All India Radio, FM channel @ 106.4 Mhz and also for medium wave channel (Vivid Bharti) @1017 Khz. I was the presenter for the shows titled 'Manbhaavan', 'Mehfil', 'In the groove', etc. Acting came naturally to me and then I did a one-month play-oriented workshop with Sri Bhanu Bharti Ji of Nation School of Drama (NSD) fame.
Then, I did plays like 'Kanjoos', an Indian adaptation of French comical drama 'Miser' written by Moliere directed by Sri Bhanu Bharti of NSD and then 'Rangoon ki Ek Shaam' an Urdu play by Sri Naresh Chaudhary Ji. I actually grabbed every opportunity that came my way. While I was in Delhi, I cleared the audition for a show titled 'He-man' airing on Star One channel, hosted by renowned actor Shekhar Suman.
I was invited by the organizers to Mumbai, who arranged for my travel and stay. I bagged one of the top 3 positions in that reality show, where popular actress Riya Sen was the judge. The journey in the world of acting had commenced and since then there has been no looking back. I have acted in over 100 TV serials, advertisements, music videos, films, web series and many more endeavours.
2. Did you ever think or dream of being an actor?
No, I never thought or Dreamt of being an Actor but I was fond of movies. It just happened by chance. As I mentioned in my journey, I had done engineering. I used to watch Amitabh Bachchan's movies a lot- Sharaabi, Don, Sholay, etc. He was my real hero.
In school and college, I never took part in dramatics. I was more inclined towards sports- cricket, basketball, table tennis, football. During school time, I was also shy about talking to girls. It's just my destiny that now acting and modelling is my career and passion.
3. How can one approach their career and have the confidence and belief to become an actor?
I would suggest to all the newcomers and aspirants not to rush in this industry. Complete your graduation at least because it would not be a smooth journey. You might have to face a lot of hardships and still not achieve your dreams. Talent, hard work, smart work combined with an attitude of never giving up along with a good luck are the basic mix of ingredients for success.
In case you encounter challenges, at least you have an alternate career to go back to. Hence, education comes first and will definitely help you in ensuring a firm standing in life.
4. If not this, what would you be doing?
If not an actor, I would have been an Engineer as i told you - I did my Tool Engineering from Delhi Institute of Tool Engineering or I would have been a Business Man doing some business.
5. What is your mantra of success?
Success & Failure - both are part and parcel of life and they both are applicable in all the field & in all the sectors. Whenever I experience this I always remember the proverb and apply it on myself "Try & Try till you succeed."
So I always keep on trying hard & try to give my best and whenever I fail I console myself with Shahrukh Khan's famous movie dialogue "Haar k Baazi Jeetne Wale ko hee Baazigar kehte Hain" and then I consider myself as a BAAZIGAR and try again and again, so I never say die. It's all about your fighting spirit and being a true Sagittarian, I am a Born Fighter. That's my Mantra of Success.
6. Which is your favourite book and why?
Though I am not fond of Books 📚 in this lockdown period I am reading a book called "Urjaa Ka Strot" ( Source of Energy ) written by my dear friend & Actor Ranjay Kumar. Besides that, I have fond & sweet memories of Childhood Reading comics. Few of my favourite comics were:-
- Pinky
- Billu
- Chacha Choudhary
- Motu Patlu
- Champak
- Madhu Muskaan
I remember i also opened the same once in my Summer School Holidays at my Dadi's place by the name - Blue Star Library as i had a huge collection of Comics in that period of time. So it was a Real Fun , Learn & Earn at the same time. I really miss my Childhood days.
I am on Instagram as @armaanntahilofficial, Facebook as armaanntahilofficial, Twitter as @ArmaannTahil and I have a YouTube channel called ARMAANN TAHIL FILMS. Also, I am on new Platforms now where you can send me the request for your Video Bytes or Video Calling or Text and even Audio messages for your golden moments or Special Occasions like birthdays, marriage, anniversaries or for any Festival Wish. Links are https://www.celebyte.com/armaann-tahil and https://be-there.co/armaann-tahil
Interview By - Suhani Mangleek
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