'Attention Comes With Pressure And Responsibility'

'Tomorrow I will go back home, clean my bed, pay my rent, all the normal things that a person does.'
'I'll still be the same person for my friends, my parents.'
'That grounding is the real thing, rather than the feeling of having made it.'

For an IIT graduate, you would expect to pursue a more stable career. But Amol Parashar moved to Mumbai to chase his far-fetched dream of acting.

After launching his acting career a decade ago, Amol carved a space for himself with steady work.

In this phase of his career, Amol amps up his resume with two new streaming projects -- Gram Chikitsalay and Kull: The Legacy Of The Raisingghs -- that shows him acing two diametrically opposite performances.

"I had no plan, no vision, no set goals. I knew there was no practicality involved in my decision. The only thing that drove me was the need to act," Amol tells Mayur Sanap/Rediff.

I liked the moral righteousness and tenderness in Dr Prabhat Sinha, your character in Gram Chikitsalay. What is it about this character that spoke to you?

On a very non-artistic level, I think these kinds of characters have a certain impact because cinema and storytelling can be aspirational in some ways; some characters can be aspirational.

I believe we all have goodness inside of us. It's just the world around us makes us a little cynical.

I think everybody knows mostly what the right thing to do is. But when you watch someone do the right thing, in spite of all the challenges they might be facing and the sacrifices they are having to make, that can touch the good part of people.

Was it an instant yes from you for this show because you have collaborated with The Viral Fever (TVF) before?

I knew TVF was producing it and Rahul (Pandey) was directing it. He has done some stellar work in the past, so I was quite confident and excited.

Everybody in the actors' circle knew that this was going to be a great show.

Thankfully, it landed in my lap.

I have worked with TVF, but Rahul had to be convinced because I never worked with him before.

I had heard that he's a tough nut to crack.

But by the end of the first meeting, we had decided that we are doing this show together.

This is the first time you are leading a show.

I have done a couple of things but sadly, they didn't see as much exposure when they came out.

I had done a film called Cash, which was a comedy around demonetisation. It got lost in the noise of some bigger projects.

I think for a very large audience out there, this is the first time they see me like this.

Do lead roles provide a better platform to make a statement as an actor?

It definitely gives you some attention. But eventually, what you do with that attention is also important.

That attention can give you some pressure because it's on your shoulders.

In an ensemble part, you don't have that pressure. You can experiment a lot more with your character.

With the central characters, the story is told through their eyes, so the writer and the director have a set vision of what they want to convey. You have to be very accurate in their depiction because there is hardly any scope for mistakes.

Everybody loves the attention, but attention comes with pressure and responsibility.

The last time we saw such a village setting was in Panchayat. Did you anticipate comparisons between these two shows?

It was bound to happen.

It is from the makers of Panchayat: TVF and Prime Video.

It is almost like the first half sentence of the story is the same.

A boy arrives at a village. He has come with a purpose and he finds out that it is not going to be very easy.

The first few words will sound similar, which we knew. In fact, in some ways, it was intentional, because we wanted to create a world where such stories can exist.

But we were told to not fall into the trap of trying to recreate that.

I mean, in terms of whether it was my performance or Rahul's direction, we were constantly reminded.

We were told that you guys are out there in that village for 40 days and we want you guys to come back with something that is uniquely you.

A few similarities were bound to happen but that phase is over. Now, whoever is watching the show is watching it for what it is.

Do you think the similarities invited negative reviews for Gram Chikitsalay?

We were aware that it's going to start with Panchayat and that we are in the shadows of a giant show.

But that will not stop any of us from telling the story. If we believe in the story, we're going to tell it.

You don't have to be afraid of your own show or any other show.

If you read Mirzapur's first reviews, they were not great. But the show eventually becomes what it becomes.

Right now, the way people are reacting, the kind of messages, posts and memes I'm seeing on my social media, I keep forwarding them to Rahul because he's not on Instagram.

I want him to know what people are saying and the way they are reacting.

It is a detailed analysis, which means they have been touched by the story and are thinking about it.

The reviews on Instagram are essays. This is not very usual. They have a lot to say about what they have just watched and that means something.

Are we going to see a crossover between Panchayat and Gram Chikitsalay?

Maybe. I have no idea.

That'd be interesting because a lot of my friends have also said it.

Like, what happens if Prabhat goes to Phulera?

We had made a promotional video with the characters from Panchayat to promote Gram Chikitsalay.

How do reviews help the actor in you?

My own filter is very harsh. Not in a bad way but my standards are very high.

I have always tried to have an objective to what I do and how much I want to achieve from any character.

I know some scenes where I'm like, oh shit, I should have done better.

That's my own analysis of it, which will evolve over time.

That is not for anyone to see or discuss. It is for me to remember the next time I do a scene and make it better.

You have been a part of interesting projects like Sardar Udham and Trippling. But you remain mostly unfamiliar to the mainstream audience. Do you aspire to do more commercial work to bridge that gap?

Sure. It's always nice to reach out to a larger audience.

If you have two people in the audience, you're happy. But if you have 20 in the audience, you're happier.

I think that happens slowly.

In my case, I had no idea about how the business works and how to use my opportunities.

I don't know whether that was lack of media knowledge or PR or having somebody who pushes you.

What is in my control is what I make of the opportunities that come my way.

What is that you are looking for at this juncture of your career?

More opportunities.

Not that I don't have opportunities but I'm greedy in that department.

I feel this is a good phase of my life.

I feel comfortable in myself.

I tried to grow over the years and hit some notes that I'm finally proud of.

You have been around for over 10 years. Has there been a moment in your career when you felt, Yes, I have made it?

It's a fleeting feeling, I think.

I don't even know what 'making it' means.

It may be okay, I have this much money in my account, or I have this many followers on my Instagram, or these many films under my name.

I think it is the human nature. We want something and when we get it, we are satisfied for a while. Then the heart starts desiring something more.

But it's not like that with me.

I stopped chasing that feeling once I realised that it just stays for a day or two.

Yes, there are days when you're excited and your adrenaline is rushing and when you feel like life is good. But somewhere, there is awareness that this is a temporary feeling.

Tomorrow I will go back home, clean my bed, pay my rent, all the normal things that a person does.

I'll still be the same person for my friends, my parents.

That grounding is the real thing, rather than the feeling of having made it.