Dheeraj Dhoopar, in a new interview, said that while he is proud of his television roots, he wishes to explore all mediums as an actor.
With popular shows like Sasural Simar Ka and Kundali Bhagya to his credit, Dheeraj Dhoopar has carved his niche on Indian television. The actor is now gearing up to explore the OTT space with Tatlubaaz co-starring Nargis Fakhri and Divya Agarwal.
In a recent interview with a leading publication, Dheeraj shared that this move doesn’t mean his departure from the small screen. He said that he wants to be recognised as an actor who dabbles in all mediums simultaneously, adding that he is aiming to occupy that niche space.
The actor told ETimes, “I don’t intend to abandon one medium for another. My job is to act, and the medium shouldn’t determine or define my passion for the craft. I don’t wished to be categorised as a TV actor, as that will making breaking the barrier between mediums more difficult.”
Dheeraj spoke about how he is proud of his TV roots, and added that while he isn’t demeaning other mediums, he believes that TV actors work extremely hard.
“On television, we produce a new film every three days. Despite being exhausted or emotionally drained, we commit to 12-hour shoots daily portraying various emotions, and consistently honing our craft. I have heard concerns about casting TV actors in OTT projects, which makes me wonder whether the lines between the mediums have blurred. However, I fortunately bagged my debut OTT project just two months after my last TV show, Sherdil Shergill, ended in January,” he shared with the portal.
Speaking about Sherdil Shergill, Dheeraj’s last fictional show failed to fare well on the TRP charts. The actor admitted that while it felt like a setback, he doesn’t believe in dwelling in the past. He added that at the end of the day, content production is a business, and a show’s longevity depends on its ratings.
Elaborating on it, Dheeraj explained that when the ratings of a show ain’t up to the mark, the makers tend to deviate from the original storyline, which can shake one’s conviction and confidence.
He said, “Sherdil Shergill was a finite show, but when the ratings plummeted in between, we made random attempts to salvage the situation. Of course, it can be disheartening for actors, who are seen as crowd-pullers. However, ultimately, it’s the content and the storyline that sustain viewership.”
Besides his OTT debut, Tatlubaaz, Dheeraj Dhoopar is also excited about exploring a grey character in his upcoming show, Saubhagyavati Bhav: Niyam Aur Shartein Lagu which stars Amandeep Sidhu as the female lead with Karanvir Bohra reprising his role of Viraj Dobriyal.
The actor said that he aspires to take up more negative roles in future.
“There is so much to do when you are portraying a negative role. I have played the quintessential hero for the past 15 years but I feel there is still a lot left to be tapped. Of course, playing the hero is my first preference, but I would like to explore other shades too,” Dhoopar signed off.
