Ruslaan Mumtaz lauds OTT boom: I don’t have to sit at home and wait for work anymore

Ruslaan Mumtaz who has worked in films, TV and on the web, says that the digital medium provides a much-needed middle ground for actors.

OTT platforms have given a fresh lease of life to the careers of many actors, and for Ruslaan Mumtaz, the medium has definitely come as a boon. The actor notes how there’s so much work now, thanks to the web that one doesn’t have to wait for films to happen.

Ruslaan Mumtaz stars in web film, Oye Mamu.

“There’s a lot of content and that means that actors can keep on working. Earlier, one was just doing a film and if you weren’t shooting regularly, then you’re just sitting at home. Now, one doesn’t have to do that,” he shares.

The 39-year-old, who has worked in films, TV and on the web, too, feels that the digital medium provides a much-needed middle ground for actors.

“If you do TV, you’re working everyday of the year. So, I think OTT breaks that. In these last couple of years, I’ve been doing a lot of web series and web films, and it gave me a breather. I could work on one project, then move on to the next one. On TV, you’re just one character and are stuck in it for years,” explains Mumtaz, who started his acting career with film MP3: Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar in 2007.

“When this pandemic started, I really thought that my work is done and I didn’t know when I’d get my next job. But in these two years, I’ve been busier than I was two years prior to the pandemic. It’s just my luck. Now I sit back and look at my career and I believe in destiny, which I never did before the pandemic. I used to think that you get what you deserve and if you work hard, you’ll get good work,” he muses.

And not just OTT work, other digital work including music videos have also kept Mumtaz busy. “Other than films, I shot for some seven music videos just last month. There are all kinds of different work that’s there for us and if you’re open to taking them, you’ll get enough work,” he concludes.