This actor of Kalki had thoughts of suicide: Even his family members did not support him; Himanshu had to do photography to earn a living

The film Kalki 2898 AD is being discussed everywhere. The film is also making a splash at the box office. There is another character in this film starring Deepika Padukone, Prabhas and Amitabh Bachchan, whose work people have liked very much. We are talking about Crane i.e. Hamhu, whose real name is Himanshu. After coming into the film industry, he changed his name to Hamhu.

In today’s struggle story, read how we, who once struggled with depression, are today an important part of a film like Kalki 2898 AD.

Hamhu plays the role of Crane in Kalki 2898 AD.

Hamhu says, ‘Life was very difficult before working in Kalki 2898 AD. I was surrounded by mental problems the most throughout my career. I was always worried due to financial constraints. Living, eating and earning in a city like Mumbai is the biggest task.

There was a time when I had absolutely no work, and my mental stress increased a lot. I was not even in a position to handle myself. People around me used to say that there are many other people who are more sad than me, my suffering is very small in comparison to theirs. They did not understand my situation, and this caused me more pain.

I could not even share this situation with my parents. They were not sure whether what I was doing was right or not. Just imagine how bad my condition would have been.

In this bad time, only a few friends were my support. They understood my condition. They encouraged me that things would get better soon. When I cried, they were the ones who supported me. No one understood my feelings better than them.

I had truly gone into depression. Due to this I had to resort to therapy and meditation, but initially I was unable to face this truth. Even today people in society do not openly talk about depression. I was also unable to do so. Nor was I ready to take therapy for it. People also did not understand my problem, even my family members used to ignore this matter.

I was always surrounded by negative thoughts. I started questioning my own work. I used to call my own work bad and useless. Like others, I also assumed that I had entered the wrong field and that my work would not be appreciated by anyone.

The level of negative thoughts had increased to such an extent that I wanted to commit suicide. I used to think that it is better to die than to achieve nothing.

A person like Deepika Padukone has also been depressed. When she spoke openly about it, it became easier for me to explain it to myself and others.

Today, therapy has made my life much easier. However, I am still depressed. I may never be able to get out of it, but due to therapy, I have learned to control it. I have learned to use the darkness of depression in my craft.

We are with our parents in the picture.

Was hesitant to audition for Kalki
Talking about the process of getting into full-time acting, Hamhu said, ‘After seeing my work in theatre, some directors offered me a short film. Then, thanks to this, I got work in the film Kalki.

I got a call from the casting team for audition. They also sent a message which said that there are actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhas and Deepika Padukone in this film.

Knowing this, I was delaying sending the audition, but I was getting repeated calls from the casting team. Finally, I sent the audition and within half an hour, I got a confirmation call that I have been selected.

My parents couldn’t believe that I was a part of Kalki
What was the reaction of the parents when I got the offer to work in Kalki? In response, Hamhu says, ‘When the parents came to know about this, at first they did not believe it. Earlier I had not told them about the audition, but after some time they believed that if I have been working hard for so long, then I will definitely get the result.

Then when I told Papa that Amitabh Bachchan is also in this film, he started laughing with joy.

Was nervous about shooting with Deepika
Hamhu said about his experience of working with Deepika, ‘The first scene on the set was with Deepika. I had to do a kidnapping scene with her. I was nervous as well as happy to work with such a big actress. Although I was trying to make sure that she doesn’t understand my feelings, Deepika knew that I was nervous. Then she tried to make me comfortable by joking around. This is a memorable moment which I don’t want to forget in my entire life.’

A photo of us from our struggling days.

Confidence increased because of the film Kalki
How much has your life changed after working in the film Kalki? Hamhu says, ‘After Kalki, I have become very famous. Wherever I go, people ask to click a picture with me. It feels very good to see all this, it makes me happy. It feels as if I have come into the spotlight.

Earlier I lacked confidence. I used to be doubtful whether people would appreciate my work or not, but after working in Kalki, my confidence has increased a lot. Now I am confident that I can do any work.

Father was in the Indian Military, had an inclination towards acting since childhood
Talking about his childhood days, Hamhu said, ‘I am from Bihar. My father was an officer in the Indian military. Due to this, I spent my childhood like a nomad. My father was transferred every 3-4 years and we all used to go to a new place and set up a new home.

I was inclined towards acting from an early age. I was always at the forefront to participate in plays in every school function. With growing age, my inclination towards theatre increased even more. I not only acted, but was also adept at writing and directing plays.

A photo clicked by Hamhoo.

I never thought of becoming an actor, I did photography to earn a living
Hamhu told that he had never thought of becoming an actor. Regarding this, he said, ‘I enjoyed doing theatre, but never thought of becoming a full time actor. After coming to Mumbai, I continued doing theatre for some time. However, after some time it became very difficult to survive with it. There is a lot to learn in theatre, but there is no earning at all.

In such a situation, I started doing professional photography work.

We will be seen in the second part of Kalki!
Hamhu last talked about his upcoming projects. He told that he has a drama genre based project. He talked about the second part of the film Kalki 2898 AD. Hamhu said, ‘Yes, my character is still alive in the first part of the film. However, there is not much update about the second part at the moment. We all are enjoying the success of the film right now.’