Actor Saanand Verma talks about how OTT is turning the game for all actors. Also, he reveals how actors need to always be prepared.
The entertainment industry must have evolved and many new things are happening. But the debate over the distinction between star performers and character actors has persisted for years since, contrary to others, many people find it difficult to make the distinction, while others still maintain that they are one and the same. Saanand Verma, who has done TV, film and web series explains his viewpoint.
“A star actor is someone who serves as the brand's spokesperson and helps the product sell more quickly. The star is a famous person whose image will appear on every promotional piece and movie poster coming forward. A character actor generally plays a variety of characters. He might not have appeared in the movie's advertisements or promotional materials, but he will play a jovial role in the story. From a business perspective, this is really the only difference, according to Verma.
While the opportunities are plenty, so is the competition in the industry right now. This is probably the reason why the difference between both types of actors is not that prominent. Also, OTT has changed the game for many.
“Competition is everywhere. In any field of work there is a lot of competition nowadays. In a country like India we have an extraordinarily large population. In any field or business, there are so many educated people behind one opportunity. Polish yourself, give your best, keep learning something new from everything, be progressive, and keep working on your craft to master your field of work. The great thing about acting is people normally stop growing in their field. But, as a performer, we can always learn, grow and improve our skills. Another thing is there are so many opportunities because of OTT platforms. Acting is purely based on your talent. If you are talented and ready to work hard then you will definitely get work. There is competition high and everyone is working hard, this is the part and parcel of our job and every other job. If you are talented and ready to work hard then nothing can stop you,” he adds.
A variety of projects are being made in Bollywood, OTT, and TV. Even music videos and short films are in the works. An actor today is spoilt for choice and sometimes fails to understand how and what can be done.
“If an actor is ready to explore, do different characters and projects, then nothing is impossible. It’s all about performing in front of the camera with a lot of conviction and reaching out to millions of viewers. As far as I am concerned, as an actor I take pride in being able to perform any kind of role. My only condition is that the story and project should be good. And, if my director is talented, my co-stars are good and the production house is popular then nothing like it. For me, the story, my character and my director are very important. I feel I should not do any television projects anymore because I have already done a lot of tv shows. I enjoy doing the roles on OTT and films much more than any other format. Web Series and even short films are great. I enjoy doing short films also. There are a lot of restrictions in television content that is the only issue. Now, my first priority is feature films, second is OTT, third is short films, fourth is music videos and television is on number five. But I must say that my claim to fame is ‘Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain’, and I'm extremely grateful to the show, team and TV for it,” he says.