Thakur Anoop Singh, the villain in 'S3' and 'Winner', in this exclusive interview to IndiaGlitz, talks about his career, why he thinks knowing the language is crucial for him, the Telugu stars whose antagonist he wants to be, and more.

What was the toughest part of playing the villain in 'S3'?

Overcoming the language barrier was the toughest part. I wanted to perform without a prompting. And it took me five hours of studying a day, that too after shooting for 12 hrs. After coming back from shoot, I would take a shower and sit on the lines till 1'o clock. It was also challenging to shoot for the action sequences in Talakona forest for 7 days.

How important is it for an actor to know the language?

If you don't know the language, you are not able to emote properly. I knew if I had to emote properly, I had to know what I am speaking. They used to give me the lines, together with the English meaning. There are amazing actors also, who take the cue and perform very well with the help of prompting. But it doesn't work for me. I myself insisted that I will perform in Tamil and if the director liked my voice, I will dub myself. And I finished it off in 3 days.

I have dubbed myself for both the Telugu and Kannada versions of 'Rogue' as well.

Whose call was it to go for the hair-do and the mustache?

It was my own call. Earlier, I was clean-shaven, bulky and sported short hair. I won Mr. India, Mr. Asia, Mr. World 2015 during which time, I changed my look. This has been liked by the audience. It's the same look in all the four films ('S3', 'Commando2', 'Winner' and 'Rogue'). Every character is different from one another, but the look is the same.

Villains these days are good-looking. The only difference between a hero and a villain is that the latter doesn't get to do romance!

In 'Winner', I am not hitting anyone, except the hero in the climax. I am playing a jockey. In 'Rogue', I am playing a psycho, a mentally unstable person. You will love all the different onscreen personas.

How was it working with a star director like Puri Jagannadh so early in your career?

It was great. He is a mentor, a friend. He is an extremely amazing guy. If he likes someone, he makes sure he is there with that person. I consult him often. In fact, it was through him that I got 'S3' and 'Winner' (Puri showed the rushes of 'Rogue' to Gnanavel Raja and Gopichand Malineni). I am looking forward to work with him. He knows my potential.

Before you tried modeling, you were a pilot by profession and recession made you bid adieu to that. Do you think you were destined to be in the glamour industries?

I haven't quite that field. I still hold a license and can fly when I want to. It happened for a reason is what I believe. I am still flying high without a plane!

And you were the first Indian to win Mr. World competition. What went into becoming an achiever? What are your fitness tips for folks out there?

I am the first Indian to win Mr. World in Fitness Physique category. I competed with contestants from 47 countries. I used to do gymming thrice every day. I would have 1 kg of chicken and 40 egg whites. It has been two years since I had normal rice as food. I survive on boiled chicken and vegetables. If you want to become Mr. World, you have to be crazy, passionate, believe in yourself.

Eat very cautiously is what I would say. Know what you are eating. Avoid eating carbohydrate foods post evening. Survive on protein-rich foods. Educate yourself. Eat smartly. Do workouts.

Do you think it's because of your physique that you have been cast in negative roles?

My physique has nothing to do with that. The director (Hari) of 'S3' was looking for a powerful-looking face. They were about to cast a body builder from Hollywood when they chanced upon my profile. For that matter, I am playing the male lead's role in one of my next movies. What matters is the performance, not the looks.

You have done even a mythological on TV. Do you feel very lucky to have go to juggle different genres so early in your career?

Yes and the diverse roles have helped me know my capabilities. 'Mahabharath' is popular in 28 countries, especially in Indonesia. It took me one year to get out of that character Dhritarashtra.

You have said that a villain doesn't get to romance. Given a chance, which actress would you want to romance with?

Any actress is fine. I just want to show that I am capable of doing romance. As a villain, you unfortunately don't get to do that. I got to do a scene with Shruti Haasan, but I was asked to slap her! I felt bad.

I am a good dancer also, by the way.

I want to work with Kangna Ranaut, Priyanka Chopra and Anushka Sharma from whom I can learn a lot.

Are you watching Telugu movies of late?

Since I don't know the language completely, I am watching them for the performance part. Someone suggested me to watch NTR's films. The way he portrayed roles like those of Duryodhana, Krishna, etc is amazing. He used to change the expressions so well. It's worth learning and helps me grow as an actor.

Any hero whose antagonist you want to be?

Prabhas sir. I have met him once. He is one of the most humble people. I definitely want to work him once. I am sure my performance with him will be extraordinary. I also want to work with Pawan Kalyan sir and Ravi Teja. I am also a very big fan of Kamal Haasan sir.