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Saurabh Sachdeva: Small films are not able to sell themselves
Actor Saurabh Sachdeva talks about the turning point in his career with Animal and why he was in a shell earlier.
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Actor Saurabh Sachdeva, who is still basking in the success of his recent commercial film, Animal feels that such films can be a “turning point” in an actor’s career. “In a way yes, a commercial movie can do what a creative project can’t. It reaches the masses, itni publicity hojaati hai. Chotti films ki problem hi yahi hai ki vo bech nahi paate hain apne aap ko,” he quips and continues, “Marketing is one major aspect of the process. But definitely, creative projects also receive a lot of appreciation when they come on OTT. Big budget films have a lot of star power, publicity, music and the whole team.”
As the actor finds himself in almost every other project nowadays, be it OTT or theatrical, the journey hasn’t been without its doubts. “The arc is going up. Every film and show is becoming a hit. Initially, I was getting sceptical ki itne saare projects arahe hain, is it good for an actor?” Sachdeva reflects on the sudden surge in opportunities. “Kahin log bore toh nahi ho jayenge mujhe harr jagah dekh kar? This came to my mind, but then you can’t do anything, it is not in your hand, you go with the flow,” shares the Jaane Jaan actor.
However, the skepticism gave way to overwhelming appreciation. The 45-year-old tells us, “After the continuous releases, I was getting such an amazing response. People started talking about my authenticity, my work and how I was approaching the characters in a different way. On the level of appreciation, it is really big now.”
For someone who spent years solely teaching acting, this newfound acclaim is both gratifying and humbling. “For an actor who has been just sitting and teaching for so many years, it’s overwhelming. But I am grounded, I am well rehearsed to handle it because I’ve been teaching acting,” days Sachdeva, who has been an acting coach at Barry John for Rana Daggubati, Richa Chadha, Varun Dhawan and many others.
The actor also sheds light on why he was not in the limelight earlier, stating that it wasn’t the industry which didn’t give him work. “It wasn’t anybody’s fault, I was coming my way. I was stopping myself because I never had the courage. I had the craft and its understanding, mai apna riyaaz roz karta hu subah 7 baje apni team ke saath, but courage aur self-esteem hi nahi tha.”
“I was always scared about how I would answer questions or how I would meet people. That is what was lacking, aisa kuch nahi hai ki industry ne mujhe kaam nahi diya, mai nikla hi nahi bahaar,” Sachdeva signs off.
