Harmanjeet Singh Singha left his job as a naval officer only to follow his brother’s footsteps in the film industry. He talks to Iknoor Kaur about his forthcoming projects
Harmanjeet Singh Singha was all set to be an officer with the Merchant Navy when he came to Mumbai. He had trained for three years and needed to clear his exam to finally get promoted. However, neither did he appear for the exam nor did he become an officer. Instead, he followed his elder brother, Rannvijay Singh, into the big world of filmmaking. “When I started hanging out with my brother on sets and saw the kind of lifestyle he was living, I was in shock and awe. It looked like a fun job, so I immediately took up an internship with a television production house and the ball set rolling thereon,” shares the actor who will be sporting a significant role in Abbas Tyrewala’s forthcoming film Mango.
The film happened to Singha as by coincidence. “Rannvijay and I have known Abbas for a while. So, he asked me to audition for this film and it was strange because I had never acted before. He told me that he needed me to be completely natural since the character was of a Delhi boy. The audition went well. I later realised that I was probably offered the film to make me learn some discipline.”
The film also helped Singha be in shape. He elaborates, “I lost around 10 kilos for this role. Abbas held a zillion workshops which included direct, vocal, facial and physical training.”
Singha feels that more than anything else, the film was mentally challenging. “For the first few days I just couldn’t let go of my inhibitions but Abbas was helpful. He would help me better my shot. He was extremely observant and that made the process easier,” he says. Initially the actor got into the industry as a creative director on television shows.
“I had always worked as an assistant director and have done other jobs behind the camera. In fact, I also wrote a few scripts and am also directing one right now. For me, direction and writing was my bread and butter. Acting is like jam,” he explains.
Singha adds that when it comes to this industry, his views are old school. “I still look at cinema as an intricate art form.” Hence, after this film, he is going to focus only on his directorial debut.
“I am directing a film based on heartbreak. Mostly people make films on love. I don’t want to do that. I want to show heartbreak and what comes after that. Rannvijay will be acting in it. After this, my plan is to take a break and write because I want to have a brand value as a writer, who directs and also acts,” he sums up.