An actor trending today could easily be forgotten in 3 months: Amol Parashar
Amol Parashar 's web shows, Kull and Gram Chikitsalay , made significant waves upon their OTT release . Ask him about the near-simultaneous success of both projects, and he shares, “I could have been overwhelmed by the attention, but I've been enjoying it. These moments are rare, and you want to make the most of them without getting carried away. From experience, I know if you're trending today, chances are three months later, you might be forgotten.” Excerpts from a chat with the actor who was recently in Bengaluru:
'I'M A MOOD ACTOR '
Reflecting on his process as an actor, Amol shares that he tries to get into the director's head. “My process often starts with trying to get inside the head of the director. What are they imagining? What’s their vision for the character? My job is to make them happy, to deliver what they’ve visualised. If I can do that, I feel I’ve succeeded. I’m not a method actor; that term is often misused. I don’t know if I qualify, but I think I’m more of a mood actor,” he says.
‘BOTH THE CHARACTERS I PLAYED WERE EXTREME ENDS OF THE SPECTRUM’
Talking about the striking difference in the characters that he played in Kull and Gram Chikitsalay, he says, “They’re the extreme ends of the spectrum, one is the best person and the other is the worst person I've ever played in front of the camera. The timing made the contrast more visible. If they had released six months apart, it wouldn’t have been as noticeable. Both the roles took work; they’re both unlike me. So, I had to step out of my own skin to portray them.”
‘THEATRE AND CAMERA ACTING ARE BOTH VERY DIFFERENT’
“Theatre teaches you to think about the whole performance — voice, body, space. But on camera, the acting becomes more contained. The lens catches everything, even the flicker in your eye. But now, with time, switching between the two has become muscle memory,” he says, while talking about what, as an actor, he could take from theatre while acting in front of the camera.
‘ROCKET SINGH HAPPENED WHEN I WASN’T EVEN LOOKING FOR FILMS’
Amol’s first screen appearance was in Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (2009) alongside Ranbir Kapoor. “It was unbelievable, but it also happened too soon. I wasn’t even actively looking for film work, I was more inclined towards theatre then,” he says. Talking about the struggles of being an outsider in the industry, he adds, “After I did my first film, I had no idea about how to build on it. I didn’t understand how the industry worked, and there was no one to guide me. That is something I learned with time, which I feel many others who belong to the fraternity know since the beginning.”
'I'M A MOOD ACTOR '
Reflecting on his process as an actor, Amol shares that he tries to get into the director's head. “My process often starts with trying to get inside the head of the director. What are they imagining? What’s their vision for the character? My job is to make them happy, to deliver what they’ve visualised. If I can do that, I feel I’ve succeeded. I’m not a method actor; that term is often misused. I don’t know if I qualify, but I think I’m more of a mood actor,” he says.
‘BOTH THE CHARACTERS I PLAYED WERE EXTREME ENDS OF THE SPECTRUM’
Talking about the striking difference in the characters that he played in Kull and Gram Chikitsalay, he says, “They’re the extreme ends of the spectrum, one is the best person and the other is the worst person I've ever played in front of the camera. The timing made the contrast more visible. If they had released six months apart, it wouldn’t have been as noticeable. Both the roles took work; they’re both unlike me. So, I had to step out of my own skin to portray them.”
‘THEATRE AND CAMERA ACTING ARE BOTH VERY DIFFERENT’
“Theatre teaches you to think about the whole performance — voice, body, space. But on camera, the acting becomes more contained. The lens catches everything, even the flicker in your eye. But now, with time, switching between the two has become muscle memory,” he says, while talking about what, as an actor, he could take from theatre while acting in front of the camera.
Amol’s first screen appearance was in Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (2009) alongside Ranbir Kapoor. “It was unbelievable, but it also happened too soon. I wasn’t even actively looking for film work, I was more inclined towards theatre then,” he says. Talking about the struggles of being an outsider in the industry, he adds, “After I did my first film, I had no idea about how to build on it. I didn’t understand how the industry worked, and there was no one to guide me. That is something I learned with time, which I feel many others who belong to the fraternity know since the beginning.”
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