‘Doing films doesn't mean you are a great actor'

Actor Anuup Sonii is grateful that he got to act in all mediums — be it theatre, television, films, or the web. But he rues that a hierarchy still exists between TV and films, and people differentiate between actors as “yeh toh film/ TV ka actor hai”. “I always tell people to not judge an actor by which medium he has come from, or what medium he or she is known for, but by their talent,” Sonii says.

The 45-year-old, who has been a part of films such as Fiza (2000) and Prassthanam (2019), adds, “Just because you have worked in films, it doesn’t mean that you are a great actor, and neither does working in television mean that someone is not a good actor. It’s just a platform...”

In a career spanning two decades, has Sonii found it difficult to overcome this distinction? He confesses that though no one has said it to his face, people might have said it behind his back. “It takes time in overcoming it, stigma hai... After the year 2000, my identity is not just that of a TV actor, but that of an actor,” says the National School of drama alumnus.

The TV show Crime Patrol, which got him a lot of fame among the masses, also led to him being stereotyped. “A lot of people said ‘Aapka Crime Patrol ka image hai, it’s very strong’. I said, ‘I am an actor, I’ll do any role. If I don’t do good work, throw me out. Lekin aap image-image kya kar rahe ho?’” shares Sonii, adding, “I am grateful to the directors I am working with right now... They never made me feel that I work on television.”