Art & Entertainment

Mohit Malhotra: TV Shows Are Not As Regressive As They Used To Be

Mohit Malhotra says that the way TV actors are looked upon in the industry needs to change. He says that TV actors act a certain way because the format demands them to, and this isn’t the only way they can act.

Mohit Malhotra
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Mohit Malhotra says that the way TV actors are looked upon in the industry needs to change. He says that TV actors act a certain way because the format demands them to, and this isn’t the only way they can act.

“I think they don't appreciate our acting skills as much as they do with actors who they see on the big screen. But they have to realise that we work in a certain format. It's just that the portrayal of television is such that it is spoon-fed to the audience because the audience likes that. I think the portrayal of the same actor comes out a little differently on television than it would come in a film. But he's the same actor. I would also say the edits are such that it showcases the story in a different way on TV,” he says.

However, he adds that the Indian TV industry sets itself apart. “I think it's very unique in its own way, because India, as a country, is not just one country. It's a conglomerate of different countries because it has many languages in different states. Everybody has a different culture. Different upbringing, growing up, the environment of growing up is different and so television shows have to cater to different kinds of people. I feel the varieties and diversity of roles and characters and stories, playwrights, and scriptwriting in our show, are scattered across India, which is varied in itself. The demographics are different and there are a lot of different languages and cultures. So that way I think it's a lot different and it sets itself apart also because it brings in varied emotions and varied nuances to the different storylines. And if you start watching your shows, languages, you'll see the whole service is absolutely unique,” he says.

The industry has grown in the time he has been here, says Mohit, adding, “The industry has changed a lot because I feel new formats of content have come and everybody is really trying to keep up because everybody wants to gather an audience as much as they can. I think TV has been going at a really fast pace now. I think even the storylines are getting better. They're not as regressive as they used to be. So, I think things are changing for the better. And I think television time is also evolving and should be evolving for the better.”

He says, “I think the same way, as long as we are exactly showing what society wants to see. And we have a keen eye for observing this idea and we're able to showcase exactly what's going on, or maybe a better version of that. I think that's what we want to improve in the future. And I think they are doing it over time. Everybody is catching up with the new content that's coming up in a virtual format or film. So, things are getting better, things are getting fast-paced, it's not as slow as it used to be for actors in general, and the new breed of actors is also evolving. The acting style is getting evolved with time I think, as society evolves, people also evolve and so do actors because actors are portraying what the society is and I think it's getting better by day.”