‘Haven’t seen a lull in my career after I started doing television’
For both stars and actors on the fringes, web series allow greater character exploration and better pay
Pooja Sharma
After acting in a number of films and shows over the years, Sudha Chandran is glad to be getting meatier parts and that it’s been a fulfilling journey. The actor says irrespective of the medium, she is interested in being associated with path-breaking projects and substantial roles. “Web and TV are just mediums. Acting is what entices me. I’d love to be part of all the mediums,” says the actor. Excerpts:
Is your career headed in the right direction, with the kind of offers coming your way?
I always keep myself happy with the roles I’m offered. If we are talking about the roles I am getting now, they are meatier. Initially, I was just doing negative roles. Now it’s a mix. As an actor, it helps me to explore myself. Like in the current show, my character is a reality show judge. I’d watch PANKAJ TRIPATHI many reality shows to get a hang of this character.
What are the challenges in this phase of your career?
I have always been a victim of challenges, be it my career or from a personal point of view. Currently, it’s about adjusting to new age directors, who have a lot of talent.
Do you think content on TV is still not at par with other mediums? TV is changing over time. As the generation evolves, there is exposure and the makers keep experimenting and are very innovative. It is definitely moving with time.
What’s your take on the supernatural thriller genre? Is there still a long way to go?
It has been my forte and given me a lot of success. I started my career with this genre, it entices me. There is so much of intrigue and fun when you are watching it because you’re always at the edge of your seat. Some shows start off really well and then they go berserk. But some of the content is doing really well, which is why it is garnering TRPs.
Which has been the best phase of your career?
It was when I started doing TV. After films, there was a lull in my career when I did nothing. A lot of people advised me to not be part of television because they felt I was not cut out for it. It was my conviction that I stuck to. Touchwood, I haven’t seen a lull after that.
How much can an actor shine in a two-hour film? The fact that web series have opened up varied shades of characters more than mainstream films in India have ever done, has not gone unnoticed by a talented lot of the industry. And if they are lucky enough to bag a role in big digital projects, the big bucks will follow. No wonder, actors as Pankaj Tripathi — regarded as prop cast until recently — have suddenly become the toast of movie buffs. Others such as Ali Fazal and Emraan Hashmi have managed to prove themselves as actors on OTT platforms after films rarely gave them the scope. Tripathi is a known name in filmdom. He has films such as Omkara (2006), Gangs Of Wasseypur (2012) and Stree (2018) to boast about. His roles in web series such as Sacred Games, Mirzapur and Criminal Justice, however, are the ones that have got fans excited. “The reach of the digital space is wide and, yes, in terms of money, it is no less than films — in some cases of big shows on big platforms, they are actually more,” says Tripathi, who feels that an important factor that attracts actors to the digital medium is the duration. “There’s no time limit of two hours. There are episodes, so we can go in depth while approaching a character, which is difficult in cinema.” The darling of web, actor Radhika Apte, who has starred in films such as Pad Man and Andhadhun (both 2018), too, was a part Sacred Games and Ghoul. The actor recently also won an Emmy nomination for Lust Stories. Fazal had a steady career in Bollywood with films such as 3 Idiots (2009) and Fukrey (2013) besides the odd outing in Hollywood, and yet he explored the digital platform. “In movies, you have to be at your heightened best in every single frame. Not that you don’t have to, in a show. You have to but in a film, point a to b... half of the journey goes unsaid sometimes,” says the Mirzapur actor, adding that in many cases, “I believe the money is lucrative”.
Inside Edge actor Angad Bedi says, “Digital [platforms] give you the exposure to connect with younger audiences, who are the primary audience base consuming the content. The content wave is moving digital and it’s opening up opportunities for deserving talent.”
Several mainstream faces including Saif Ali Khan, Vicky Kaushal, R Madhavan and Nawazuddin
Siddiqui have also forayed into the digital platform, in both films and web series.
National Award winner Manoj Bajpayee also made his digital debut recently.
“I was waiting for the right kind of script to start my journey in the digital space. The web series is a new format , and I wanted to do something different and interesting here,” he says. ANGAD BEDI
ACTOR
SUDHA CHANDRAN
ACTOR