Pulkit Samrat returns to the streaming space after three years with Netflix’s upcoming sports thriller, Glory. Naturally, he is excited to talk about the journey he undertook to transform into Ravi — a boxer whose intensity spills beyond the ring. In conversation with mid-day, the actor opens up about the mental preparation behind the role, how co-star Divyenndu became a pillar of support, and why his family’s sacrifices mean everything.
Excerpts from the interview.
Did the gap between the shoot and release of Glory make you impatient?
We went on floors after the announcement [in 2025]. A year is not long. The day we began shooting, we realised the [show] is magical and different, and its world is exciting. From the first day, my question was, “When is this coming out?” It has been a grilling journey, with demanding characters and workspace. But, more than us, it was the sacrifices of our families — they wouldn’t get time with us. In addition to that, their entire focus was on us [wondering] if we are eating on time or not. So, for them, it is even more of an impatient game.
Pulkit Samrat and Divyenndu in ‘Glory’. Pics/Youtube
Playing a boxer requires mental and physical prep. How intricate was your preparation?
We always talk about characters in a sports [drama] in terms of their physicality. But it is about the mentality, discipline, and commitment that you have towards the character. You have to think, behave, and train like a boxer — only then will you be a boxer on screen. You cannot become one by just taking the stance of a boxer. It is impossible. The camera, audience, and other boxers will catch it. The sport that you are trying to respect — it is a responsibility that we are doing the best possible thing for them. I knew it was going to be a long journey.
In the teaser, your character carries immense rage. Portraying such intensity can be taxing. How did you maintain the balance?
For me, it was not just about going to the set with a certain mentality. It was also about coming back home with the same mentality — that I am Ravi. I could not get out of it because that would break my entire regime. Ravi was giving me the power to stay intact, and the interaction my character had on set with other characters, director Karan [Anshuman], and the entire crew is what brought me back every day. I would think, ‘Today, Ravi
will go to the set and do this. He will go home and do this.’ My family was also meeting Ravi more than Pulkit.
How is it to work with Divyenndu?
This is the first time I have been able to work like this. And a big reason for that is Divyenndu. He has a particular way of working, which I was not aware of and had never practised. We both approach our crafts differently. Every journey that I take through a project, I always imbibe things from my co-actors; I learn through it.
May 1
When ‘Glory’ starts streaming
Pulkit Samrat’s projects
2012 ‘Bittoo Boss’
2013 ‘Fukrey’
2018 ‘3 Storeys’
2020 ‘Taish’
2023 ‘Fukrey 3’
