WEB DOESN’T NEED STARS TO SELL ITS CONTENT: SANJAY
Digital shows aren’t burdened by the thought of multiplex footfalls in the absence of a star, says actor Sanjay Kapoor
Actor Sanjay Kapoor is truly enjoying his time in the web space — this is a busy period that has followed the success of the recent anthology Lust Stories. And he says that though “a camera is a camera”, there’s one thing that does set the web apart from cinema.
“In a movie, you’re part of an ensemble cast. I’m working in the film The Zoya Factor, and one more film with big stars, whose announcement will take place shortly. You have to balance it out in web series. In films, you play the protagonist. But in the digital space, besides the ensemble cast, you aren’t burdened with the thing that ‘superstar nahi hoga toh bikegi kaise, multiplex mein kaise lagegi,’” says the actor.
There’s a lot of satisfaction to be derived from the web, feels the actor. “You’re getting very well paid, and getting creative satisfaction as well. A camera is a camera, be it in television, digital or films. Your emotions are the same,” adds Sanjay, who was in the Capital recently to shoot the first episode of a web series.
It’s being said that the web is tough competition for films. Sanjay disagrees. “Films aren’t getting any competition. Whenever a superstar’s film releases, the audience does go. The fun of watching a film on the big screen will never go,” he says. “Video aaya, toh people thought, ‘Picture theatre mein dekhne kaun jaayega?’ Then came the satellite [channels], people thought, ‘The film will premiere [on TV] after two weeks.’ And after digital, something else will come! [But] people will keep watching films on the big screen. If I have an option to watch a film like The Avengers on a phone or [in the] cinema, I’ll of course prefer the latter!” signs off Sanjay.