‘Disparity between film and TV actors will always exist’
After 13 years of TV shows, Karan Wahi has been making inroads in the Hindi film industry, especially with his recent release, Hate Story IV. Ask the actor if he feels any different now that he has acted in a major Hindi release, and he says, “Unfortunately in India, the disparity between a film actor and a TV actor will always exist, no matter what. It is not just in our film fraternity, this differentiation occurs in every aspect of our lives. It’s like how it is with one’s driver or household help — they won’t share your table. Basically, a film star is a film star and a TV actor is a TV actor. That hierarchy exists in all genres. This isn’t a problem for me, as I work with people I like, irrespective of the medium. I’ve worked on TV, in web series and a few films. Yes, how people perceive me has changed.”
Karan narrates a recent incident to showcase how things have changed for him after working in a major film. “After 13 years of working as an actor on TV, when the promos of Hate Story IV released, everyone I met talked to me about it. The recognition and connect was instant even though I had an ongoing reality TV show. Maybe some people thought I was the TV guy who made it into films. But suddenly, people saw me in a different light. Nothing has changed for me personally [after doing films], but the way people look at me has changed. The disparity exists,” he says.
The actor stresses that his work and acting remains the same whether he is working in films or television. “People can perceive you how they want to, but you shouldn’t change as an individual. Most people forget that TV shows and films are shot very differently. On TV, you don’t have a graph of your story, while in films there is a definite beginning, middle and ending. I won’t quit TV, as TV has made me what I am. I am ready for good work. Sometimes, we don’t work in TV shows not because we don’t want to do TV, but due to contractual requirements. A lot of people don’t understand that. If I get a good project on TV and I am not doing anything else, I would take it up,” Karan says.