New Delhi [India], June 23 (ANI): Veteran theatre artist and scientist Anil Kumar Rastogi, who is set to receive the Padma Shri in the field of Art from President Droupadi Murmu at the second Civil Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday, described the honour as a unique recognition of his parallel careers in science and performing arts.
Speaking to ANI, Rastogi, who hails from Lucknow, reflected on his journey from being a scientist to becoming a celebrated actor and theatre personality.
"My name is Anil Kumar Rastogi. I'm from Lucknow. Born, raised, educated, first job, theatre, everything is from Lucknow," he said.
He has over 1000 theatre performances and was a former scientist of the Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), Lucknow. Rastogi joined CDRI in 1962 as a Junior Research Fellow and retired from the Institute as Head of Biochemistry and Director's Grade Scientist in 2003.
Rastogi highlighted the uniqueness of receiving one of India's highest civilian honours in the field of art despite spending most of his professional life in scientific research.
"This is the beauty of this thing. I'm a scientist and I'm being given an award in the field of art. ...I'm probably the first person in the field of art whose basic profession is science," he said.
Rastogi said his interest in acting began during his youth in Lucknow, where local theatre activities inspired him to take to the stage.
"Theatre activities were going on in my area. I used to watch them, and that drew me into acting," he recalled.
His artistic journey expanded through radio and television. He auditioned for Akashvani in 1971 and was selected, followed by a successful audition for Doordarshan in 1975. His first film appearance came in 1986 in acclaimed filmmaker Sudhir Mishra's "Yeh Woh Manzil Toh Nahin."
He gained nationwide recognition with the iconic television serial "Udaan" in 1989, where he portrayed Senior Superintendent of Police Bashir Ahmed, the mentor of the show's protagonist.
"My first big serial was 'Udaan'. At the time, there was only DD, and the whole country watched it. I played the role of Senior Superintendent of Police. I became so popular that wherever I went in India, people would recognise me as Bashir Ahmed from 'Udaan'," he said.
Rastogi credited the theatre for opening the doors to television and films. He recalled how a performance in the play "Yahudi Ki Ladki" led to his casting in "Udaan."
"I was doing a play called 'Yahudi ki Ladki.' Kavita Chaudhary's brother saw my play and walked into my green room and asked if I would like to work on a serial his sister was making. I said, 'Why not? Of course I will.' That became my first national network serial," he said.
Despite his growing popularity as an actor, Rastogi continued his scientific career without compromise.
"Because I didn't compromise on science, both careers ran in parallel. And that was possible because of the cooperation I had from people in science as well as theatre," he said.
Following his retirement, Rastogi's acting career entered a new phase with the 2012 film "Ishaqzaade," directed by Habib Faisal.
"I must say that Habib Faisal's film totally changed my career," he said, adding that the film led him to Mumbai, where he appeared in television serials, films including 'Zed Plus' and 'Guddu Rangeela,' crime shows, daily soaps and television commercials.
President Droupadi Murmu will confer the Padma Awards 2026 at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday. In the second Civil Investiture Ceremony, the President will confer a total of 65 Padma Awards, including two Padma Vibhushan, seven Padma Bhushan, and 56 Padma Shri awards.
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This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.
