Karan Wahi isn’t happy about the discriminatory tone and behaviour often faced by actors working in Television – and rightfully so.
The actor has made a stark comparison with actors in Hollywood, stating how uncommon it is for a Jennifer Aniston or a Charlie Sheen to be diminished by being categorised as ‘TV actors’, and how they’re simply just ‘actors.’
In a recent interview with Pinkvilla, when quizzed about his opinion on the ongoing nepotism and ‘insiders VS outsiders’ debate, here’s what the 34 year old had to say:
“I think the debate is only wrong. It is the audience who need to change their perspective. Why call me inferior to another person just because of the platform we come from. I think the audience need to reflect on that aspect. If I work on TV, and on web as well, and even in films then why just call me a TV actor? Call me an actor na?”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDblAV7MXsP/
He continued:
“I am not saying I have a problem with it, I am very proud to start from TV, it has made me what I am today. But, to segregate people based on the platform they work on, and then talk about equal opportunities? We shouldn’t be. Eventually who is making us a star? The audience. I feel the audience needs to give creditability to everybody and then see the change.”
The actor, who’s also appeared on a number of reality shows, apart from his regular features on soap operas, further stated:
“Today, there might be someone who is more talented than me but haven’t gotten the opportunity and that is because the audience has loved me more. Humko kaam tabhi milega jab audience support karegi. We live in a social media world where there are people who have perhaps done nothing big but are earning more than us, who are these people following them, making them stars? It is the audience.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDY0r6DsVh1/
“We say that this doesn’t happen in abroad, it is because there, an actor is an actor, no one says that ‘oh Jennifer Aniston toh Friends ki TV actor hai!’ It is that small a game. These are small things which needs to change.”
While people online have agreed with what he has to say on the subject, they have also pointed out – how Indian Television too needs to up their game when it comes to providing quality content.
How majority of the shows are still stuck on saans-bahu soap operas, with formulaic and totally unrealistic scripts and over-the-top acting, direction and editing, one has to strive to get to the level – Indian web-series seem to have reached today.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCfWgjXMAZC/
Read his full interview with Pinkvilla here