‘Box office doesn’t consider the social, cultural and artistic impact of a film’

With the advent of OTT platforms, the design and nature of storytelling has transformed. Gone are the days when actors lived from Friday to Friday. And after a scene stealing act in director Vasan Bala’s critically-acclaimed film Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota (2018; MKDNH), Gulshan Devaiah started this year with the horror anthology, Ghost Stories. He got a lot of love from audiences for his part in director Dibakar Banerjee’s short.

Gulshan admits that currently, it’s a “truly reinvigorating time” for him as an actor as he doesn’t feel the “pressure of delivering at the box office as much” as he feels the need to give a terrific performance. “The whole notion that box-office figures are the only yardstick for success is burdening on filmmakers and actors. One doesn’t consider the social, cultural and artistic impact a film has on society. But thanks to the streaming platforms, actors like me can finally find some balance. Finally, we can focus on the stories and characters and how good and enjoyable or entertaining they are rather than the business,” he says.

Not one to undermine numbers, he insists that an actor’s career is no longer about the numbers he clocks in just on that one Friday and its aftermath. With digital invasion, he realises that his works are discovered and loved over and beyond their run at the theatres. He adds, “Streaming platforms seem to have found a model that balances art with commerce and that’s fantastic. Actors such as me can now spread our wings and fly with freedom. I am overwhelmed by the love and appreciation I’ve received for MKDNH and even Ghost stories, both of which got their maximum reach on an OTT platform. It’s a great feeling for a craftsman or artist for his or her art and craft to be relevant and I feel very relevant right now. As the great singer Bob Dylan once said “The times, they are changing .... ”

Thanks to the streaming platforms, actors like me can finally find some balance. Finally, we can focus on the stories and characters and how good and enjoyable or entertaining they are rather than the business. GULSHAN DEVAIAH, ACTOR