In an exclusive interview with Screen, actor Tusshar Kapoor opens up about his latest show Dus June Ki Raat, his acting journey and dealing with pressure as a star kid.
The actor, who has been through his ups and downs since making his debut in the film industry, admits that debuting is easy for anyone from a filmy family, but argues that the journey becomes much tougher for them after that.
In an exclusive interview with Screen, Tusshar said, “When you are someone’s son or daughter, you have to be strong and tough. No matter how many hits you give, there are attempts to pull you down or make what you haven’t done look more important than what you have done. If you are not from the film world, even with very little achievement, people told ‘Wow, what have you done!'”
However, aren’t the dice stacked against outsiders who have to work hard to get their first break? “I want people to understand that it’s a level playing field for everyone,” said Tusshar. “It’s probably easier for film people to get a break because of connections, but after that it depends on your own connections, how you make a film, how you are on screen and what your marketability is. It’s definitely a little harsher for insiders. We have to go through a lot of tests to convince people within the industry and others that we are here because of our talent. The audience doesn’t want to see such bias. They only want entertainment.”
Recalling his experiences since he started his acting career in 2001 with Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai, the actor says his acting journey has been full of good and tough days and is no different from any other actor. “It has had both ups and downs. If there were no ups and downs or hurdles, I wouldn’t have reached here. This cycle has to happen, it’s a part of your journey that helps you move forward. You just become stronger to do more work. If you can’t handle the ups and downs, then this field is not for you,” he said.
Tusshar revealed that he is enjoying this phase of his career more than the initial years. “I look back at my time in the industry with a lot of nostalgia. I have become happier with time. Initially, I was still trying to figure out what I was good at and how to move forward in the film world. I am not really that social or outgoing. I had to step out of my comfort zone in the initial days. I love the growth I have seen in the industry. I have understood what it takes to be happy in the entertainment world. You can’t just shoot and move forward. You have to be outgoing, media savvy and social,” said the 47-year-old.
The actor will be seen in the second chapter of Raat on June 10 on Jio Cinema. Directed by Tabrez Khan, the comedy-thriller stars Tusshar Kapoor and Priyanka Chahar Choudhary. Tusshar revealed that the second season has received a good response. “We were mostly involved in post-release promotions, we didn’t do much before the release. However, the audience response has been good so far, people loved the first season and they are appreciating the second season as well. This makes me happy,” he said.
Tusshar describes the shoot as a “fantastic” and “hectic” experience. “We shot both seasons simultaneously and our shooting schedule was 12-hour days, with multiple tasks to be done in a day. The team was so good that we all didn’t get much time to worry about getting tired,” he elaborates.
The actor has worked on two digital projects so far, including Dus June Ki Raat and Boo Sabki Phategi. Calling OTT a “great medium”, Tusshar says, “It gives you a lot of leeway as far as experimenting with genre is concerned. I am able to do things that I have never done before, cinema audiences are used to a certain taste for an actor. In OTT, you can be a little crazy and different. Let’s see how it works for me in the future. People want to watch relatable things.”
“Not having box office numbers does reduce the pressure but you also need a different kind of validation. If you are happy with the appreciation of the target audience and are happy with the lack of clarity of numbers, then only you can work in this medium. It is mostly about perception, there is no clear answer about the number of viewers, it is a bit vague,” he concludes.
