In an exclusive chat with The Pioneer, actor Abhishek Chauhan opened up about his unsettling role as Arun in the psychological thriller Khauf. Known for his grounded and socially resonant performances, Abhishek shared insights into surrendering to the director’s vision, working alongside Monika Panwar, and navigating the emotional weight of playing a character embedded in patriarchal conditioning
Tejal Sinha
tejal.sinha30@gmail.com
n Khauf, actor Abhishek Chauhan delivers a deeply unsettling performance as Arun — a man who appears loving on the surface but is entangled in everyday misogyny and deeply embedded patriarchal behavior. It’s a character that disturbs not because he’s overtly monstrous, but because of how familiar — and real — he feels. In this conversation, Abhishek opens up about the emotionally tricky terrain of playing Arun, working with Monika Panwar, the powerful writing, and how his body of work — from Kill to Cubicles — has shaped his artistic choices. Speaking about how he approached Arun’s morally complex character, Abhishek shares that the preparation wasn’t about crafting the character from scratch, but about deeply understanding the vision of the makers.
“The preparation for this or any other character comes from trying to understand what the director really wants, and how the writer has tried to imagine the character,” he says. “There were a lot of workshops, a lot of discussions with Smita ma’am, Pankaj sir, and Suram sir about how they looked at Arun.”
He adds, “There are a lot of layers to him. We tried to highlight only the ones they really wanted me to work with. Eventually, it all boils down to the vision the makers have — and I completely surrender to that.” Abhishek explains that playing someone like Arun — whose actions may disturb even though he doesn’t see himself as a villain — requires emotional honesty, but not judgment.
“I don’t associate with Arun — ethically, I have a very different opinion on things. But when I’m playing the character, his reality is what is written in the script, and I have to borrow that and perform accordingly,” he shares. “There were scenes I could, from the outside, judge as ethically right or wrong — or hard to do — but as an actor, I try to sincerely lend my skills to the vision of the director.”
Unlike traditional horror, Khauf builds its unease through atmosphere, microaggressions, and moments that feel eerily everyday. For Abhishek, it wasn’t about hamming up the emotion or exaggerating conflict — it was about staying subtle and trusting the writing.
“It’s all in the writing, really,” he says. “The way the show has been written, the treatment, the language — it’s not trying to say who is overtly good or bad. Some things are given directly, others are inferred by the audience. You just stay truthful to the script.”
And when the script supports the vision with such clarity, he adds, the actor’s job becomes easier. “The directors had such a clear vision of how they wanted Arun to be — so it wasn’t actually difficult for me. I just had to play him with honesty.” A large part of the psychological complexity in Khauf stems from the relationship between Arun and his partner, played by Monika Panwar. The intimacy between them unravels slowly, revealing the long shadows of trauma and silence.
“This isn’t your usual portrayal of fantasy or horror. There’s a lot more layering to it. There’s trauma, recovery, and two people trying really hard to mend something broken. They’re both fighting individual battles,” he shares.
Working with Monika made the process smoother. “Monika’s a fabulous co-actor. It was so much fun working with her — and because we’d already worked together earlier, there was more trust and comfort,” he says.
Abhishek credits the sensitivity of the directors and Smita Singh for creating an atmosphere of trust and care. “They understood the gravitas of this story and treated it with that much care. That trust made all the difference, and it flowed pretty well.” Looking at his body of work — from Cubicles to Undekhi, from Bahut Hua Samman to Asur — one sees a pattern: grounded, character-driven narratives that reflect social realities. But Abhishek insists he hasn’t planned this arc consciously. “I do think about the kind of work I want to do — and probably the roles I avoid are a conscious choice. But I audition for whatever comes my way. Then, depending on whether it excites me or not, I go ahead with it,” he says.
He adds, “I wouldn’t say I’ve planned it such that my choices lean towards sociological storytelling — but the idea is to explore different characters from diverse backgrounds. That’s what keeps it fun and engaging for me.”
In contrast to the simmering psychological tension of Khauf, Abhishek’s role in Kill was viscerally physical. Set entirely on a moving train, the action-thriller challenged him physically and emotionally.
“That film was beautifully made. The action was choreographed within those confined spaces. The tempo was generally high — it was fast-paced, and the stakes were high for the characters too,” he shares.
Rehearsals were rigorous. “We trained for at least three months. We conditioned our bodies to take falls, stay safe if something went wrong. The production padded the train for safety. There was a lot of effort to ensure everyone was protected.” He adds that the environment itself became part of his performance. “You can’t separate yourself from the set. The environment does something to you. You find new things to play with as a performer.”
Reflecting on his artistic journey, Abhishek reveals what truly drives him: the thrill of inhabiting a life completely different from his own.
“Something that really excited me when I did theatre — and still excites me now — is being able to play a character and live someone else’s life,” he smiles. “I’ve never worked a 9-to-5 job, but I lived that with Cubicles. I haven’t served in the army, but I got to experience that through Kill.”
He credits casting directors for taking chances on him with diverse roles. “I’ve been lucky. Casting Bay, Shubham Gupta — they gave me very different roles. Shubham even got me on board as a villain for the first time in Asur. That variety is what gives me joy.” Abhishek has no rigid checklist of genres he wants to explore — but there are certainly styles that excite him. “I grew up watching movies, so I’m a lot more into storytelling,” he says. “It’s not about the genre — it’s about being part of a good story. But yes, I’d love to explore more action, drama, sci-fi, horror. I’m open to everything.” What remains constant is his desire to try new things. “I’m not limiting myself to one style of storytelling. I want to keep experimenting. And if my goal is to be part of good stories, I know I’ll keep finding different styles and genres along the way.”
