Last seen in the OTT series Trial by Fire, Kiran Sharma is happy that actors across age groups are getting opportunities and good content to be a part of.
“I’m a theatre artiste and have been part of films, TV and OTT shows, so you will find me all over. From my experience, I can say that films are not at the top of the game anymore. OTT has taken that space, and it is surely a level up. Not everything on it is great, but bahut achcha kaam ho raha hai wahan and audiences are the happiest,” says the actor, who recently shot for showrunner Saurabh Tiwari’s next OTT series in Lucknow.
The 55-year-old adds, “We need to accept that this is a youth-driven world. So, for the youngsters challenges are there but for senior actors – in terms of age and experience – we are getting good opportunities. Characters are being written in such a way that there is a lot of scope for everyone. I have just completed a film which I can’t talk about and I will soon shoot for another web series. And, then, Saurabh sir’s show will have another season, so I will shoot for that too.”
On comparison of television with OTT, she says, “Web shows may have seasons, but always have a start and end, so actors can build a graph, very similar to how it is with films. Whereas, on TV you don’t have a graph as the next morning you don’t know where it will jump. Sometimes, it becomes irritating, and you lose track. Once, during a TV series, a track got changed and I was asked to do something my heart refused to portray. But then, you are pushed to do that as it’s a last-minute addition. Thankfully, the show ended.”
{{/usCountry}}On comparison of television with OTT, she says, “Web shows may have seasons, but always have a start and end, so actors can build a graph, very similar to how it is with films. Whereas, on TV you don’t have a graph as the next morning you don’t know where it will jump. Sometimes, it becomes irritating, and you lose track. Once, during a TV series, a track got changed and I was asked to do something my heart refused to portray. But then, you are pushed to do that as it’s a last-minute addition. Thankfully, the show ended.”
{{/usCountry}}She is doing theatre since the last 34 years. “I did some films too, but it was not mainstream cinema. Films were never on my list. I only shifted to Mumbai in 2019, by then I had done Zindagi Ek Mehak (2016).”
Her husband (VK Sharma) founded Khilona Theatre Facility group in 1987, which works with child actors. “Theatre has been a good training ground for me as besides acting, I am doing so much more – designing, writing, directing, assisting and so on. I miss all that on TV and OTT.”
Her role in Trial by Fire was short, but got noticed. “The screen length was not much, and I did not expect any visibility from it. I joined because of the content and the cast. The industry took note of my work and that makes me proud and happy. Somehow, it did not translate for me in terms of work till now, but nevertheless, I did earn accolades for it.”