Anup Soni says he looks up to father-in-law Raj Babbar: ‘Only actor from NSD who played a commercial hero’

Anup Soni’s latest project is a podcast, titled The Unsung Heroes. The Rainshine Entertainment production, streaming exclusively on Audible, narrates the inspirational journey of 20 Indians from various walks of life.

Talking about the show, Anup Soni said it is a result of Crime Patrol. “I always maintain that the podcast is a result of doing Crime Patrol for all these years,” he said, adding, “The series made me a better human being.”

The 47-year-old said he finds ‘unsung heroes’ in the people working around him. “I won’t say that open an NGO or make a donation, but I will say look around you, look at the people working for you. Do a little for them, take care of them. I truly believe charity begins at home,” Anup said.

Talking about his home, the actor said he looks up to father-in-law Raj Babbar. Soni is married to Raj Babbar’s daughter Juhi Babbar. He is the brother-in-law of Prateik Babbar and Aarya Babbar.

In the conversation, Anup remembered the first meeting and conversation he had with Raj Babbar during his National School of Drama days. “He was my senior. I remember very well… when I was in the third year of the National School of Drama, he came as a chief guest for one of our teacher’s functions at Siri For Auditorium in New Delhi. We (Anup and his batchmates) met him at the function and returned to our hostel. Later, he also paid a visit to the hostel to relive his NSD memories, to walk through nostalgia. I remember it was around 12:30 am in the night. We sat and chatted with him,” he said.

As he continued, he spoke about how they were in awe of Raj Babbar– “the actor who did it all.”

“He was an alumnus of our school, who went on to become a successful actor. I always maintain that he is the only actor from NSD who played a commercial hero. We do have brilliant actors, no doubt, but Raj Babbar did it all. He played character roles as well as danced on screen like any other quintessential Hindi cinema hero. It used to be a proud moment,” Anup remembered.

Anup Soni with Raj Babbar and Prateik Babbar. (Photo: Anup Soni/Instagram)

But now, things are different because Raj Babbar is not only a hero but also his family. And now, even the reasons to look up to him have changed. “I look up to him because he also came from a very very humble background and reached great heights. He is still very humble and grounded. So, it is sort of a lesson that no matter what you have become and how much success you have seen, it is important to stay grounded,” Anup said.

But Raj Babbar is not the only hero for Anup Soni. The Prassthanam actor finds it commendable how Prateik Babbar fought drug addiction.

“He achieved to come out of that, which is commendable. He is an example. He is so disciplined with his workout routines. Even when we host get-togethers, he texts that he would arrive late because his trainer will come late. He never misses his training. So, it is inspiring. Now, he is very focused on his work,” a proud Anup Soni replied.

The actor, who is ready to “break” his Crime Patrol image, is looking forward to a couple of series that will release in the coming months.