MUMBAI: Telly town celebrities don different hats according to changing times and the need of the hour. Well, digital media is definitely where most of our favourite stars are headed now.
A few of them share their reasons for choosing web projects.
Arjun Bijlani: I feel the digital medium is giving actors a great opportunity to perform roles that they have never performed before, so why not! The medium comes with zero restrictions, which is why a lot of people are going for it. The money is also good; however, that is secondary. Nowadays, no medium is small; all of them are the same. I would love to take up an interesting project in this space as well.
Rohan Gandotra: I think it’s the creativity. Web shows have great content to show, and actors are free to perform without any restrictions. This is what attracts us.
Jasmin Bhasin: I feel the digital medium has a very bright future, as actors are given the chance to choose out-of-the-box scripts and work on characters that are not there in TV shows. The concepts taken up by these short films and shown in web series are amazing. Who would want to miss that!
Shivani Gosain: You get the freedom to experiment and do things that you usually don’t get the opportunity or the liberty to do in TV or movies. Also, the reach is worldwide. I have not done anything for the digital medium yet but will love to experience it.
Sheena Bajaj: Actors are nowadays doing web series and short films, and I feel it’s all about personal preferences. I would love to do a web series or a short film where I have a very strong character. I am not open to doing bold scenes or a lot of skin show. That’s why I have not taken up any digital content yet. I would love to do a performance-oriented role rather than a web series.
Sheeba: Creativity, good money, youth appeal, fresher audience, and more experimental roles attract me to the digital medium. I would love to take up something there.
Amrita Prakash: The digital platform provides actors with one more medium to perform! Why would an actor let it go? There’s some amazing work happening on the digital front. It’s broken the threshold of scripts and structured cinematography and performance.
For an actor, the nuances of the performance of a scene differ on all mediums. If you give me one scene, I will perform it differently, depending on whether it is for television or a cinema screen. When it comes to visual perspectives, size does matter. So, my nuances change accordingly.
Digital platform has opened up a whole new avenue for performers. I love doing digital work alongside television and cinema, because it is a completely different way of performing. And as an actor, it’s refreshing to have the chance to explore one more side to my performance. Money, creativity, productivity, and all that is just gravy.
Akashdeep Sabir: I think the corners have shrunk nowadays. There is no such thing that if you do a short film or a web show, your innings as a film actor are over. Huge stars like Salman Khan and Amitabh Bachchan are doing television. Short films even qualify for international awards and are a regular watched section. It’s about time we in Bollywood drop these notions. Creatively, such short films or web shows are out-of-the-box in their approach, as they are devoid of commercial constraints. Hence, it seems very interesting. Money is not yet huge there, but it’s moving in the right direction.
Ssharad Malhotra: I can’t vouch for other actors, but for me, doing a short film would be like a breather and a welcome change from my daily soap schedule, not to forget the chance to be creative. Content is king and drives me the most.
Aniruddh Dave: Most TV actors are doing short films and web series. I want to say that it’s the latest trend, because they are doing something different from what they get to do on TV. Secondly, the digital platform is growing by leaps and bounds, and I must say that I am enjoying the content that is on the digital platform. The future is the web and internet portals. This is my third series with Vikram Bhatt, I am loving it. I feel that as an actor works for creative satisfaction, the digital field provides you with that. Undoubtedly, television pays you well. But when you’re sick and tired of doing something that you have been doing for the last decade in terms of the form of acting, it doesn’t help much.
Vikas Grover: There can’t be one answer to why actors are taking to the digital space. There may be actors who consider web series as an escape from the ‘waiting game’ that is keeping their careers on hold. For me, personally, web series was a choice to grow outside of my comfort zone. The whole cast had to pitch in as much energy as possible to get things moving. As an actor, I had a chance to build my character, which normally I would not be able to do on a TV show. As I actor, I can’t afford to waste time, and hence, web series broadened my horizon and gave me a boost to keep going.
Abraam Pandey: I really don’t want to comment on who is doing what, but for me, acting is acting, whether you are working in the digital medium or on television. The digital platform has a lot of money and a lot of creativity as well.
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