It was a big and calculated risk, says Swapnil Joshi on his OTT stint

Juhi Chakraborty

Having done television and films for years, switching to the web wasn’t something Swapnil Joshi was immediately on board about. The actor reveals that he took his time to warm up to the medium, be open to opportunities.

“It has been an enriching experience. I was getting opportunities on the web in the last five years, but I was always doubtful if I should do it or not,” he shares.

The 43-year-old explains, “What I play in Marathi films is the boy next door. On TV, I have this comedy actor image. When it came to doing the same thing on the web, it didn’t make any sense. Why would the audience want to watch me do the same thing on a different platform?”

The actor, who has been a part of two seasons of the web series Samantar, admits

OTT audience is very different from TV and film audiences. “I wanted to make sure I am giving them something that satisfies their hunger. It was a big and calculated risk. I kept saying no to a lot of web projects. Some days were easy, some difficult, because the money was good and the role was good, but they were repetitive,” he adds.

With the success of his web outing, Joshi is now in a more confident place, ready to take up more projects.

“Ab sur sahi lag gaya toh I can say I’m glad I waited and so on. I took my chance with fate, and I was rewarded. OTT has revolutionised the way we watch content. It has given you the freedom of language, sexuality, and has broken down a lot of shields, in the right sense of the term,” he concludes.