Lalit Gupta
Actors are specially endowed creative individuals who work as interpreters of various real life or imaginary characters for society. These storytellers, play out alternate realities on stage, hold up a mirror, shine light on hidden societal sins, often remind us of happier times, or our greater human potential. Carrying our frustrations, fears, desires, and hopes, actors are essential to the psychic health of our world.
Jammu boasts of century’s old continuing tradition of Rama Lila but modern theater is only half a century old phenomenon, here. Mostly an amateur venture by artistically inclined individuals, Jammu theater has nurtured many artistes who have left an impress upon the audience for their talent, dedication and commitment to theater as medium of entertainment, education, and consciousness-raising.
Arvind Anand is one such gifted and truly celebrated actors of Jammu, who devoted to art of acting since 1980’s, is known for moving and memorable performances, versatility and excellence. It was for his gentle countenance and comely physique, that he has been a natural choice of directors to cast him as a hero in number of stage dramas, television serials, tele- films, films and radio plays.
Proficient in languages like Hindi, Urdu, English, Dogri, Punajbi and Pahari, in the last 30 years, he has acted in over 37 plays as the lead actor and also directed three plays. For films and serials, he acted as the lead performer in 22 tele-films and 123 TV serials. He has participated in over 200 plays of Radio Kashmir, Jammu, and the All India Radio. Adjudged the best actor by the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages on numerous occasions, Arvind Anand has the credit of participating in over 20 national theater festivals as the lead actor of Natrang, Jammu.
Born in 1961 to a middle class family, he did graduation in Commerce. In a scenario where it is still impossible for any artiste to survive on his artistic talents alone in a peripheral metropolis like Jammu, he joined Life Insurance Corporation of India where he is presently working as assistant branch manager. Unlike number of other office goers who as a matter of routine confine themselves to respective domestic spaces, or do mundane chores of life, Arvind Anand, has always found time to pursue his passion for acting. Facilitated by his family and theatre mates who many a times have to reschedule timings of rehearsals, he has been working overtime to give his best on stage.
Though a demanding task, Arvind Anand has been able to maintain a successful balance between his office life and acting—the true calling of his heart. His talent has been recognized by professional bodies like Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages by bestowing him best actor award in many annual drama festivals. All India Radio for his excellent performance has approved him as a radio voice with B –High grade. The honours and awards have not made him complacent as he is constantly striving to improve upon his previous performances.
One who exhibits equal facility and control at stage, television screen and recording studios of Radio, Arvind Anand popularly known as ‘Lucky’ is endowed with native acting ability which has been honed through intensive training by none other than theatre stalwart and NSD trained Kavi Rattan—the founder of modern theater and finder of talent—who as a judge had spotted the flair in young actor during a DBN School performance.
Giving credit for his achievements as an actor to his guru Kavi Rattan, Arvind says that it was his guru who introduced him and many later day actors to the fine art of theatre. ‘It were the theatre repertories organized by J&K Cultural Academy, in which Kavi Rattan introduced us to technique of theatre in scientific manner as well as the respect for theatre as a serious expression with enormous social relevance’, says Arvind, reminiscing about his early experiences as a young theatre enthusiast.
‘I have acted for almost all leading theatre directors like Kavi Rattan, Deepak Kumar, Balwant Thakur, Mushtaq Kak, says Arvind. But the memorable performances according to him are the roles he played in plays like Spartacus, Lekha Bahi Da, Us Ki Jaat, Aur Tota Bola, Din Bar, Azadi-Banam-Gulami, Mehak Gulab Ki, Marnoprant, and others.
His magnum opus as an actor in recent times has been performance as Baba Jitto, in the Dogri play ‘Bawa Jitto’. His tall and lithe body, somber countenance coupled with sensitive portrayal of Baba Jitto, who sacrificed his life to as a protest against injustice, has been to greater extant instrumental in resurrecting the personality of 15th century Dogra folk hero in the imagination of new generations.
But the dedicated actor laments that Jammu civil society is not doing enough to encourage creative talent. He feels that government should also reserve some posts for artists as is being done in case of sports persons. He is thankful to in LIC management including D C Thakur, SDM and C S Bhavani, marketing manager for fully supporting him in pursuing his passion for theatre.
The versatile actor feels that role of the actor should not be underestimated as he is serving the timeless function of taking on agonies of society and provide catharsis, or emotional and spiritual purification, for every person in the audience. He says it is high time that society recognizes actors as essential to its psychological and spiritual well being.

Follow our WhatsApp channel