#SameLove

After his passionate on-screen kiss with Milind Soman that “they said” could derail his career, the actor holds forth on gender-fluidity and its growing acceptance in the mainstream

The most difficult part about playing Bhanu – a gender-fluid classical dance teacher in Paurashpur (ZEE5) – was to be graceful; because, in reality, I’m a total goofball! But the series is not about the dance teacher being bisexual or gay, just like it’s not about Milind Soman playing the third gender. The romantic relationship between the two is intriguing .

The writer, Sahil Salathia, 30, made his debut in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Everest six years ago, and is known for his fitness and fashion on social media

I worked on ensuring that I represent the community with respect and responsibility. The love I’m getting on social media is proof of that, though I’m also getting DMs with people saying ‘You shouldn’t have done this part’. This is also something many seasoned people from the film industry echoed, stating that the gender-fluid role would categorise me and I may lose out on other projects.

Stereotype debate

If producers and directors who are very old school won’t cast me as a “hero” in their movie… then it’s okay because I anyway don’t even fit into their idea of films. Not that I have anything against commercial content.

If you’re a trained actor, nothing can stereotype you. And if you do get typecast, then you aren’t as great an actor because you need to kick-ass in each role. An actor’s filmography should be varied.

New Age act

Younger actors today are more open to doing diverse roles. When it comes to older actors, some of them are stuck up with being themselves on screen. A majority of actors in India are actually just entertainers. And this, at a time when we have access to some great international content!

Look at Aamir Khan. He plays the father of two old girls in Dangal (2016). Is that something he should get an award for? No. But in India? Yes, because a lot of other actors his age are still being paired with 25-year-olds!

As told to Karishma Kuenzang

Follow @kkuenzang on Instagram and Twitter

From HT Brunch, February 14, 2021

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