‘Bollywood mein log jagah gher ke rakhe hain’

Harsh Mayar, like many of his colleagues, is exploring the web medium, while looking for work in films with projects such as I am Kalam (2011) and Hichki (2018) under his belt. But, Harsh feels that the challenges of bagging a film are humongous, not just for actors but also for writers and directors. And that’s the reason they’re flocking to online platforms.

Harsh, who starred in the web film Kanpuriye last year, says, “While doing the film, the makers had told us that it could either get a theatrical release or a web one. I had got some idea about it because people from some web portals would come to see the shoot. I’m happy with the response the film got. There’s a separate audience base for the web.”

On how the web medium has opened doors for people, Harsh, whose new online series is a rib-tickling tale on alien invasion, opines, “It has created job for directors and actors. Bollywood mein kuch log jagah gher ke rakhe hain. So that’s why many actors don’t get opportunities.”

While the actor agrees that there are challenges, he also feels the web platforms can never replace the theatrical experience. “There’s hardly any difference while shooting (a web series or a film). Par thoda bahut fark padta hai. Cinema has different catharsis, web can’t replace that. The theatrical experience is immersive. Watching content on hand held devices can be distracting,” he says.

However, Harsh is of the opinion that films are somewhat stuck in the rut. “We now have mostly stories set in small towns. We see family dramas, which was started by a few actors, being made in abundance,” he says.