I wasn’t getting good work on TV: Bakhtiyaar

Best known for his comic roles, actor Bakhtiyaar Irani is back in front of the camera — this time with a web show. “No one was offering [any television] shows to me,” he says, explaining why he disappeared from the tube.

“My last show, Badi Door Se Aaye Hain, ended two years ago. If you do one good role, you are flooded with many [good roles]. So, you need that one opportunity to show your talent. And you need a lot of patience,” he says.

The actor, who’d be seen on a comedy show — it’s a remake of the old hit show Zabaan Sambhalke (a classroom drama about a Hindi teacher, played by Pankaj Kapur, whose students come from all over India) — is all for remakes and reboots of TV shows. “People [already] have a connect with the original show. You want to see Judwaa 2 (2017) because you have seen Judwaa (1997) earlier,” he points out.

The digital boom is a boon for actors and filmmakers, who want to express their creativity, feels Irani. “Earlier, there was only Doordarshan, then came satellite channels and made way for so many [TV] channels. Soon, YouTube caught people’s attention and [eventually], we saw a surge in personal apps of celebrities,” comments the actor.

He adds that such vast mediums give the audiences a chance to choose what, when, and whom they want to watch.

“Not everyone wants to see a saas-bahu drama, so producers are making shows for those who like entertainment on the go,” says Irani. “TV is now on mobile phones and content is tweaked as per the medium. With time, things will keep changing, but movies and TV channels are here to stay,” he concludes.

PHOTO: FOTOCORP Bakhtiyaar Irani is now doing a web show