Never wanted to be the leading man who does the same thing in every film: Ranvir Shorey

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Actor Ranvir Shorey, known for his unique filmography which boasts of credits like “Lakshya”, “Bheja Fry”, and “Khosla Ka Ghosla”, says he is in the "game" of playing different human beings in different circumstances. With the advent of OTT(over-the-top) platforms in India, the 49-year-old actor said he is happier doing wide-ranging roles either in shows or movies released on the digital space. Some of his work on streaming platforms include “Metro Park”, “Sunflower”, “Rangbaaz”, “Hasmukh”, “PariWar”, “Bombers”, and films such as “Kadak”, “Lootcase”, among others.

“I never wanted to be a hero or be the leading man who is doing the same thing in every film. I thrive on wanting to do different roles and be different human beings in different circumstances. That is my game and that is my challenge.

“For people like me streaming platforms have been a blessing as different stories and characters are being thrown out and that is what one wants. I am happy. Ultimately, I want to build a resume that I want, and when I die, they will be able to see what I was trying to achieve,” Shorey told PTI in an interview.

Drawing a parallel between cinema and OTT, the actor said it is a constant struggle for him to find space for his work to be viewed by the audience on the big screen, something that is not a concern on the digital medium.

“For me, in movies, my career is made on independent alternative films. The struggle in the theatrical system will continue, trying to get space in theatres amongst the big players. Once the theatres open that struggle will continue as it was.

“With OTT you have a platform to reach your audience without theatres. Earlier there was no other way than theatres which had a fixed number of shows, fixed people controlling and exploiting it. For smaller players it is difficult to foot in,” he added.

He believes streaming platforms are far more “democratic” in nature and that there is no distinction between the runtime of small or big films. "If there is a big film coming in, the small film will not be thrown out. The small film will be on the platform, they coexist. The audience will decide which film to watch, they can turn a small film into a big film or vice versa. That is a blessing.”

Shorey's next outing on OTT is “Tabbar” directed by Ajitpal Singh, who has garnered appreciation for his short “Rammat Gammat” and debut feature “Fire In The Mountains”. The show was released on SonyLIV on October 15. Set against the backdrop of Jalandhar, the eight-episode show charts the journey of a retired police constable, played by Pavan Malhotra, who pushes the boundaries to save his family from the consequences of an unfortunate incident and promises a memorable thriller in the heart of rural Punjab.

Shorey, who plays Ajit Sodhi the main antagonist in “Tabbar”, said he was aware of Singh’s critically-acclaimed work and was looking forward to collaborating with him.

“It is a well-rounded character with its own character arc. Ajit Sodhi is a businessman who is transitioning into politics, he has his own family, back story and it is a twist of faith that these two families get entangled,” he said.

The actor said he was initially very nervous about playing this character. “It is always a struggle to get into a character, especially the beginning... Then slowly, you learn to walk, talk, behave, get the desire and aspirations of the character and as you move ahead you gather confidence.”

Produced by Jar Pictures, “Tabbar” boasts of an ensemble cast including Supriya Pathak, Gagan Arora, and Kanwaljit Singh. Asked if he was worried about over exposure on the digital platform, Shorey said only big stars or "someone who does the same thing in every film" have that concern.

“For people like me or Pavan Malhotra, my co-star on ‘Tabbar’, we try to create a new character with every project so it is not over-exposure because you are not seeing the same person,” he added.

The actor's next set of projects include “Hasal” with Sanjay Mishra, Salman Khan-starrer “Tiger 3”, a movie with “Bheja Fry” co-star Rajat Kapoor, director Manish Gupta’s “IPC 420” and Santosh Sivan’s “Mumbaikar”.