Actor Kamya Panjabi has been working in the television industry for over two decades now, and it seems she is quite content with the medium. At a time when more and more film and TV actors are foraying into the OTT space, Kamya is not ready yet to take the leap. In fact, she admits it’s a conscious decision to stay away from projects on the web.
“I’m not the kind of person who’d be like, ‘Oh, I want to get into films or OTT’. I love television more and that’s my priority. My first love is television and I am very happy doing TV,” she reasons, adding, “Also, I feel an actor is an actor whether you’re working on the small screen or OTT or the big screen. Many big actors come to promote their web series on TV shows only.”
Kamya was reacting to actor Eijaz Khan’s recent comment where he stated that it’s quite difficult for TV actors to break into the web space and the often face bias at the hands of casting directors, too.
WON’T SACRIFICE TV FOR OTT
Asked if she would change her mind for a great role if it comes her way, the 43-year-old is quick to clarify that she is not averse to giving it a chance, but she would never sacrifice television over any other medium. “If you ask me to quit working on TV, sit at home for a year so that I go out of sight and out of my mind and then start afresh… I will never do that,” stresses the actor, known TV shows The feeling of the power of existence and To install Sanjog.
She emphasizes that actors need to put their foot down and not get bogged down with the constant pressure to try out different mediums.
“For a 15 day shoot, which you don’t even know where it will come, on which platform, whether it will be a hit or not – why would anyone sit at home for audiences to forget that you are a TV actor, and then you venture out and work in an OTT project. Also, the shooting and release would also take so much time. Sorry, I’m not the one. I’m very happy being called a television actor, who actually knows how to act,” she asserts.
‘LOT OF ACTORS DON’T KNOW THE ‘A’ OF ACTING’
Like many other actors, Kamya, too, isn’t too happy about categorization and segregation of actors based on the mediums or industries they work in. “There should not be any difference between TV or OTT actors, or even film stars,” says Kamya, who goes on to point out how several ‘OTT actors’ are not good at what they do.
Citing an example of a recent series she watched — though Kamya didn’t take any particular name — it seems she was referring to Sonakshi Sinha’s latest release, Dahad,
“Bahut saare projects mein aise log dikhte hain jinko acting ka A bhi nahi aata. Sorry, but I won’t name them. Recently, I was watching a web show in which a big personality, the daughter of a very big actor made her debut. I started that show aur mujse ek episode se zyada hazam nahi hua because unko bilkul acting nahi aati. But what can one do… she is the daughter of a veteran, and then she is doing the web show,” says Kamya.
MAKERS ON OTT NEED TO CAST BETTER ACTORS
Expressing her dissatisfaction with a lot of content we are served on streaming platforms, Kamya goes on to question the makers about the casting and selection process.
“Why are they casting actors who don’t know how to act and perform well? It is sad,” she opines, asserting that this mindset needs to change that only big names would work on the web.
“Makers would cast big names, star kids and established actors only because they want their projects to sell and be watched… But what’s the point. Where is talent,” she ends with a question.