00:00First of all, welcome to INS.
00:02Thank you so much for having me here.
00:04And your career has been more than two decades.
00:07So when you look back from Shri Nagar to Mumbai,
00:12where do you think your journey has been?
00:14Our biggest journey point?
00:15What is your career?
00:18I think it's been a great journey.
00:22It's been a great journey.
00:27I think it's been a great journey.
00:29And of course, it will be more than two decades.
00:30I think I have come to Mumbai now.
00:34I'm going to start my journey.
00:37I'm going to start my journey.
00:40Great journey so far.
00:42So many shows.
00:43There are so many production houses.
00:45There are so many well-learned and geniuses.
00:49I feel destined.
00:53I feel blessed to get these opportunities.
00:57And I feel like it's a turning point.
01:02I'm still looking for it.
01:05I have not set a limitation to it.
01:08This is my turning point.
01:09But yes, I got my first fame and recognition from my show on ZTV called
01:15My character, Veer Khurana, was extremely popular all over India and the different parts of the world.
01:26And that gave me the global recognition.
01:28After that, I did so many shows with Zee, Star, Sunni and all those channels.
01:34So all of them were great.
01:38In the early 2000s, when I started TV and industrial landscape, it was very different.
01:44So how do you adopt and sustain yourself through changing trends?
01:47See, as far as you are not concentrating or focusing just on the changing trends.
01:55That's inevitable.
01:57Change is always constant.
01:59The industry will keep evolving.
02:02The changes will keep on happening.
02:06What matters is how much you are upgrading yourself.
02:11Like with time, we have the phone or operating system.
02:18You know, with time, you get upgrades and the phone is upgraded and it's again ready for the current time
02:27to operate flawlessly.
02:29So I think that people can only concentrate on their own craft, talent, work out.
02:41So, whether the world is changing outside, if you keep working on yourself, working on your craft, you will always
02:51adapt to those changes.
02:53That's what I believe.
02:55You have done so many diverse shows.
02:58So how do you consciously avoid getting typecast?
03:03Because I never chose a single genre.
03:09I have always opted for my career and opted for different roles.
03:17My show, like I said, Mayaka.
03:19I was playing a love boy.
03:21Then, Handa Kuch Kehta Hai.
03:23Tumbejaan Kahan.
03:24Maryada.
03:25All these shows which are like super-head shows.
03:29I was playing a love boy.
03:31But after that I chose to do a negative role.
03:33After that I chose to do a comedy role.
03:36Then I experimented with different kinds of genres and roles and portrayals.
03:43Because if I didn't do that, I wouldn't be knowing what my range is.
03:47I have to work in my work.
03:48What is my calibre.
03:50I will be able to work in my craft.
03:54So that is why I always refused to do a similar role.
04:01And I kept on experimenting with myself.
04:04So I think that as an actor, this has helped me a lot.
04:09You have worked in TV films and 3 mediums.
04:12So what do you see as an actor as an actor?
04:20See, all these mediums and platforms, they have their own beauty.
04:27If you have a medium to work in every medium, you have to do it.
04:34And I felt like that I would have to do some limitations.
04:37I should do TV or TV or film.
04:42I always wanted to choose the role first.
04:46See the role first, then the platform.
04:49The stage is a different way. There are wrestlers, loud gestures and you have to reach the audience at the
05:03end.
05:03You are loud, your gestures are loud. Television is time-constrained.
05:07In one day, you have 30 minutes of footage. Everything happens very fast.
05:13You have to shoot today's episode.
05:18There are scripts and you have to do it.
05:21OTT is a different thing.
05:23In films, you need to shoot massively. There are big budgets.
05:27Every genre, every medium has their own grace where you can live.
05:34Do you think that actors have more creative freedom in films and theaters?
05:43Do you think that the OTT platform is such a platform?
05:46Do you feel liberated in performing and produce like this?
05:52I have done shows like television, OTT and films.
06:01I don't think that I have been creative and restricted free.
06:05I think that in every platform, every show, every project, I have worked freely.
06:12I have been restricted and restricted.
06:15I can't do it properly.
06:18So, my experience has been really good with all the mediums.
06:23In today's time, when the content-driven cinema arrives, do you think the other actors have finally getting their due
06:29description in films?
06:30Absolutely they are.
06:32There is more acceptance for good actors in television, actors in films.
06:38And the acceptance is very good, very welcoming.
06:42It should be very early.
06:44In today's time, you have seen that everyone has good actors in TV, OTT, OTT films.
06:52And every good actor will work on different projects, mediums and platforms.
06:58It's a very positive and a very good sign for our Indian film industry.
07:03And especially in the television industry, we see that in the television industry,
07:09there are many actors that we interview with.
07:12One of the things that we do is, we have payments,
07:16we have time-faring payments, and after 4 months, we have payments.
07:21So, you don't think that there are many big problems in the television industry actors.
07:27It's the biggest problem.
07:28I think that, now, in this industry that is growing like anything,
07:36many people are working, many things.
07:39So, cheating, fraud, actors' money, actors' money,
07:43when a producer doesn't give money,
07:45or they deny payments payments,
07:50or they cheat.
07:53I think that the government needs to connect a body to the film industry.
08:01So, there is security for actors in the crew.
08:05Where there is security for actors in the crew.
08:05Where there is security for actors in their rights.
08:07Like I have done a show in Shindiwale Sai Baba,
08:10but his crew didn't get money.
08:13It's been a year.
08:14And producers are just saying that,
08:16we'll do it, we'll do it, we'll do it.
08:17We'll do it every year.
08:18They're saying, we'll do it, we'll do it.
08:20But, there is no support from any association,
08:23there is no support from any government.
08:25So, everyone is from their own,
08:28and the producer is not paying anybody.
08:30Which is so bad.
08:32Everyone has worked with the hard work.
08:34And those people who are sitting in their homes,
08:37who don't give money,
08:38who don't give money,
08:38and they have a lot of money.
08:40So, this should not happen.
08:42And I really believe that,
08:44a sense of security,
08:47a actor, a group,
08:48a light man,
08:50or a sport,
08:50or any other people,
08:52they need to provide them.
08:55And I really feel that,
08:57our information and broadcast industry,
09:00because we need to interfere with them.
09:02And we need to know a proper protocol.
09:05So, that,
09:06our industry,
09:07the workers,
09:08who make a product,
09:09will be secure.
09:09why are we going to do this?
09:11One more issue,
09:12is that,
09:12the late working hours,
09:14that actors are getting more data,
09:16or more data?
09:18See,
09:19many actors and crews,
09:21I will tell you,
09:22as I have seen,
09:24that,
09:24they don't have any problems,
09:25to keep them extra,
09:25to keep them extra work.
09:28But,
09:28that extra work,
09:30you don't get money.
09:31Most of the people,
09:33they don't have extra work,
09:34and they don't have extra work.
09:37Even the people,
09:37the actors,
09:38from our industry,
09:39from the actors,
09:40from the sport boy,
09:41and even the people,
09:43who come in their own,
09:44all the people,
09:45who work so much,
09:46and all the people,
09:47in their minds,
09:47one thing is,
09:48the show must go on.
09:49The telecast needs to be done.
09:51They work extra work.
09:53But,
09:53when they don't get into it,
09:56they're what the problems.
09:57For someone,
09:58to work to do extra work,
09:59they don't have to do extra work.
10:02But,
10:03they know,
10:03that they don't get extra work.
10:06Some of the actors,
10:07complain that,
10:08we call directors,
10:10but,
10:10we don't stay short,
10:11and then,
10:11we don't have to go on.
10:14So,
10:14that is,
10:16that is,
10:16that is,
10:16that is,
10:16that is,
10:16that is,
10:16that is,
10:17that is,
10:18that is,
10:19that is,
10:29that is,
10:30that is,
10:34I have to go on.
10:41I don't know about it, but this kind of thing is very normal on the floor and during the sheath.
10:47Sometimes you have to sit down, but that's fine.
10:50If my commitment for a show is 12 hours per day, I shouldn't be having any problems spending those 12
10:56hours for my producer or show.
10:59But yes, if it is deliberately done or if there is a loophole and there will be problems created,
11:08then I can talk about it and work with the production.
11:13But yes, I don't have any problems with that.
11:16Your international interview is happening with different rounds.
11:20What attracted you to this collaboration between Nollywood and Bollywood?
11:24I have no reason to say no.
11:26It's a great concept.
11:29My producer and I was a writer, Nicolette Indiegler.
11:33His first film came to Netflix.
11:41He was working on this subject last 10 years.
11:47So when he narrated the whole concept of the project,
11:50I had no other reason to say no.
11:54Because the film is a complete package.
11:57It's a rom-pomp.
11:58It's a romantic comedy.
12:00A long triangle.
12:01Complexities of the relationships.
12:04For one relationship,
12:06the whole relationship has affected the whole relationship.
12:10It's a beautiful thing.
12:13It's a beautiful thing.
12:13And there are so many stars from Ghana, South Africa, USA.
12:19My leading lady in the film, Abena, is Miss USA.
12:27So the film is star-studded and such talented and amazing actors are there.
12:34So you don't have to worry about it.
12:37Especially if I get an opportunity to take my film industry,
12:44take my craft to an international platform.
12:48I should be the first person to say yes.
12:53How challenging to work in Dublin in the cinema in terms of culture, language and working style?
12:57Do you feel like the actors need to step out more globally to explore the driver's story?
13:03Yes, absolutely.
13:04I think no actor should limit itself.
13:08I should try to do it in India.
13:11While the US is a place where the film is one of the most important roles,
13:16the cast agents,
13:17I should approach them.
13:20Because Indian actors are considered to be very good actors globally.
13:25And they have a very good global reach.
13:28So when our films are featuring here and we get touched on the film,
13:31then why are we contacting those casting directors and agencies and casting directors?
13:39Because you never know that.
13:40That is how we can get, you know, we can get those opportunities.
13:45Otherwise, sitting here, I don't think that something will happen.
13:49And there's a lot of difference between filming that happens here and filming that happens there.
13:56So, you know, an exchange of creativity is also very good.
14:01We know that in the rest of the country, what kind of filmmaking is happening in the rest of the
14:05country,
14:05what kind of work culture is happening.
14:06So, it is diversity, learning and diversity to creativity, you know, merge, this is always good.
14:14In the industry, there is always a thing that people have to do groupism or a particular group,
14:23you will have to get more work, do you think that you have to do groupism or how do you
14:30think you have to do groupism?
14:32See, favoritism is one of the most human beings.
14:37There is a team who works with a set of people.
14:43Which is, in a way, for them, it might be good.
14:47It may be that they don't have a comfort level outside.
14:50But I think that if you deliberately make a lobby and a groupism,
14:56if you only work with the people,
14:58then I think that there is a lot of creativity.
15:02I think that this kind of thing doesn't exist in the creative field and in the art.
15:07I don't want to exist in the art.
15:09I haven't done anything like this, but I hope that I won't be able to face that.
15:16But it doesn't exist in the art and that's what I think.
15:19Looking forward to it, the dream world or genre that you want to explore,
15:23and you think that you want to be a leader with me or a leader with you,
15:26or you want to be a leader with me or a leader with you.
15:27What's happening?
15:28I want to work with Christopher Nolan.
15:30Okay.
15:31So I want to, I want to, I want to, I want to take my self to,
15:38I do myself standing at the Oscars,
15:42and when I speak, they are so that is how I manifest.
15:46So I want to take my industry to the Oscars.
15:49So my tagline, what my goal is from Exodus to Oscars,
15:54that is what I want to achieve in life.
15:56Okay.
15:57If given a chance, would you like to step into direction or production?
16:00Absolutely.
16:01I have a very much sense of direction also.
16:06Because I have learnt it.
16:08I have worked with all the directors and I have a very keen interest in directing and creating.
16:15In COVID, I have made a short film on my phone,
16:20without any equipment.
16:21And that film, that shot film that was, that was a lot of people in the industry.
16:27I have made a really good film.
16:33And I have made a really good film.
16:34And I have made a really good film.
16:35But I would definitely, you know, start something of my own.
16:40And get into direction and production, if God supports.
16:45What is the last one international film?
16:49What projects are you doing?
16:50And then what are your kids here?
16:51I want to give you a family song.
16:52Right now, there are actually projects that jeep on release.
16:55There is a web series that I have done with and I am all sharing.
16:59There is one film that I have done with Mr. Girish Malik, Band of Mahalajas, where I am playing the
17:06antagonist
17:07And there are so many more projects that are there
17:11I listen to the narration
17:13And let's see, I always picked the best roles that suited me
17:21And I would like to say to our fans that I love you for supporting me so far
17:29And thank you for taking me so far in this journey
17:33Thank you so much and keep loving me, I will never let you down
17:36Thank you so much
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