What TV doesn’t grant you, OTT does. Several actors, who have been on a quest to be offered versatile characters, have found respite in the form of web series and short films on streaming platforms. It is a domain where talent supersedes everything else. Little wonder then that many who felt underutilised on other mediums are pursuing projects on OTT. One such actor is Gaurav Singh.
While he has played pivotal characters in several TV shows, including ‘Chidiya Ghar’ and ‘Krishan Kanhaiya’, it was his desire to portray distinct characters that prompted him to try his luck in web series. He is quite happy with the way things are shaping up for him. He will be seen as the protagonist, Rahul Somani, in ‘Shiksha Mandal’, which will drop on MX Player soon. The web series is based on India’s biggest education scam to date.
But success comes at a cost and Singh agrees. Waiting for the right project can be daunting and frustrating. According to him, it helps to be patient and invest in alternative sources of income. He says, “Every actor should have an alternate profession, especially if he has the bandwidth to manage more than two things at a time. It’s always good to have multiple income avenues. This allows the actor to make confident decisions in getting better roles while not taking a pay cut or giving in to the popular excuse ‘bhai low budget hai, karega kya?’. Everyone should get his due, both creatively and monetarily.”
However, he emphasises the constant attempts at honing one’s craft. He says, “Today, the audience is spoiled for choice and there is no formula to making a successful show. So, it’s important to keep upgrading. Also, success is subjective. Not every film that has crossed Rs 100 crore is critically acclaimed and vice versa. We have several filmmakers, who make low-budget short films and documentaries, being nominated for international awards. That also is a mark of success to me. So, the mantra is to never stop dreaming big.”
Talking about aiming big, one has to ask him about his dream role. After all, manifestation works wonderfully, isn’t it? “Of course. My dream role would be Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s character in Gangs of Wasseypur 2. I just fell in love with the way he says, ‘Baap ka, dada ka, sabka badla lega rey tera Faizal’,” he concludes.
