Expect the unexpected — that’s what filmmakers always aim for. When Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK cast Harman Singha, long associated with the “green flag, good, and cute guy” space on screen, in The Family Man 3, they did exactly that. Singha credits close friend Yashaswini Nath for the opportunity. “She told me years ago, ‘One day we’ll make something together’,” he says.
Singha first met Raj & DK at the screening of Entanglement, a short film Nath directed. They watched the film, had a deep conversation about sci-fi, and days later, he received an audition call. He approached the role with a kind of ferocity that comes only when one senses a life-changing opportunity. “I was the most prepped I’ve ever been. All my life I’ve been preparing to play a spy. When I went in, I was like there is no doing it well, I have to nail it.”
If stepping into a show as popular as The Family Man wasn’t pressure enough, Singha also had to fill the space left by Sunny Hinduja’s beloved character. But he couldn’t shy away “from the big moments. It’s for moments like this you train, practice, and expanding your range.” Still, the nerves were real. “My first day in their office, I was scared,” he laughs. But the anxiety dissolved into muscle memory when he saw familiar faces. “The one place I feel most secure is on set. I’ve spent 16 years in and out of camera, it feels normal.”
Shreya Dhanwanthary in ‘The Family Man 3’
Raj & DK’s unrestrictive working style helped him feel free. “They’ve seen that you can act, now I had to do my job. They said, ‘If you’re going wrong, we’ll correct it’.” The only real note he received about playing Yatish Chawla was: “You don’t give a flying f**k about anything. You only care about catching this guy. It’s either him or you.” For an actor who had built meticulous backstories and entered the show with “50,000 ideas,” the freedom was exhilarating. “No inhibitions, no ego, no fear,” he says, quoting acting coach Neeraj Kabi’s workshop mantra. “And I put that into practice in The Family Man.”
A large part of his arc builds on his dynamic with co-star Shreya Dhanwanthary, whose steady presence shaped his early days on set. “We’re both nerds. And she’s one of the most amazingly secure actors I’ve met. She loves to shine the light on other people.” She immediately integrated him into her inner circle, introduced him to Manoj Bajpayee, made him part of the “new boy group,” and ushered him into the show’s social ecosystem. “She took me under her wing.” Their camaraderie translates on screen, lending their scenes an undercurrent of care and protectiveness. Fans have noticed — memes included. Taking it in his stride, he says, “Sometimes you want to be relevant in pop culture. I was hoping something would click. I didn’t know it would be a meme. I find them amusing.”
The irony of an Army kid playing the season’s traitor isn’t lost on him. But he had been “dying to play villainous roles” for the range it offers, especially for “somebody who looks like me. Anti-casting, you know?” What he feared most was that audiences would “spot” the twist too early. When they didn’t, he felt he had done his job well.
Now, the fanboy in him wants more. He hopes for more scenes with the ensemble. “I’m hoping that happens.” But gratitude outweighs the longing. “The fact that I got my own independent track, I’m so thankful. It’s not dependent on anyone else,” he smiles.
Circling back to Raj & DK, whose universe he now feels emotionally invested in, Singha hopes to remain part of it in any capacity they offer. “They ease you into their world without ever letting you feel it’s too big for you. The Family Man, crossovers, a new show, some film — I’ll always be hoping they get me in.”
Writer in Harman
Disheartened by writing for a while, Harman Singha has returned to it after a break, teaming up with co-director Suman Kumar for a film. “I’ve found a new partner in writing… He told me, ‘I’m looking for an ally. Someone inclined in the same way, wanting to make similar things. I’m getting that feel from you’. Two months have gone into it, and we have 20 pages.”
