Manish Wadhwa says, ‘Unable to go to theatres, OTT is providing us with entertainment’!
Actor #ManishWadhwa has just made his web debut with #Chhatrasal. He had shot the series two years back, now finally the show is streaming. The actor is happy and hopeful that Chhatrasal will initiate ways for him to get more work on the web.
On what made him start his journey on the web with an “Unusual and Historical” series, he says, “I’ve played the role of a guru in Chanakya but this time the role of guru that I am portraying is completely different. I play Maharaja Chhatrasal’s guru in the series. Chanakya was intelligent, he would do anything to achieve what he wanted, but he’s soft-hearted, reads Bhagvad Gita and Quran. For him religion does not matter, he gives more importance to humanity, which he considers a religion. The charcater of Chhatrasal’s guru is also a little similar, but his motto is to bring everyone together with love.”
Sharing his prep for the role, he reveals that he was portraying the role of Raja Kansa when this offer came his way. “While Raja Kansa was hardcore negative, this character was hardcore positive. The hard work was to move from one character to the other. The eye movement to make the look and feel of the guru is positive and took a lot of time to achieve. Everyday Hindi that we speak and the Hindi I had to speak for this character was also completely different. So I also had to work on that as well,” he adds.
The show also features Ashutosh Rana, Jatin Gulati, Vaibhavi Shandilya, a number of theatre and TV actors. Actor Neena Gupta is the host of the show.
“The OTT boom is here to stay. The kind of work from all over the world that we are getting to watch on OTT is adding to its relevance. Makers and performers are also being able to experiment and do the kind of work that they want to. In times like these when we are unable to go to theatres and given all the restriction, OTT is providing us with entertainment. We are able to sit at home and binge-watch content that we enjoy,” he explains, adding that he would also like to do substantial characters on the web.
Will you be comfortable in doing bold content if offered? “I’ve never thought about it. But, if the role and story demand then why not? I am an actor. Kalakaar hain kala ke madhyam se jo cheeze samne ayegi zaroor karenge. I don’t think about all these so much. My performance and craft matters to me more than anything else,” he signs off.