Himanshu Awasthie: I used to manifest working with Irrfan Khan, he inspired me to become an actor

Actor Himanshu N Awasthie, who currently plays the lead role of Sameer in Rimjhim – Choti Umar, Bada Safar, says his journey into acting was deeply inspired by late actor Irrfan Khan—an admiration that eventually turned into a life-changing opportunity.

“I was into theatre during my teenage years,” Himanshu recalls. “I used to manifest about working with Irrfan Khan. He inspired me to become an actor. I belonged to the same theatre circuit he came from, and I read about him a lot and admired him immensely.”

Fate intervened when a casting director attended one of his plays. “After the show, he asked me to audition for a film. I wasn’t given proper details. I went for the audition, got shortlisted, and was later asked to move to Udaipur for the shoot. That’s when I found out it was Angrezi Medium, starring Irrfan sir. I was overwhelmed. That’s how I stepped into the entertainment industry from my hometown, Jaipur,” he shares, adding that he played Ankit, the brother of Radhika Madan’s character.

Post that break, work followed steadily. “There was no looking back. I started managing my studies alongside acting. I completed my graduation in Physics and Mathematics,” he says.

Himanshu adds that the consistent work helped him grow. “I played important roles in web series and films. Directors and teams appreciated my work and kept considering me for their projects, which really boosted my learning curve.”

Eventually, he moved to Mumbai. “I already had friends here who guided me through the basics. I started doing television shows. Before my current lead role, I played a parallel lead alongside Fahmaan Khan in Krishna Mohini. I’ve also featured in multiple TV commercials.”