I will never say that I won’t do TV anymore: Hiten Tejwani

Actor Hiten Tejwani is loving his OTT stint. The actor is grateful that TV has earned him fame and made him a household name but for now his focus is on the digital space.

Last seen in the Tandav series he has shot for three projects. “I have wrapped up a short film which is ready for festivals and two OTT series which are in post-production. Since they have not been announced yet, I can’t talk about it right now. Planning about the next is on,” says the Big Boss 11 contestant.

For now, he is focusing on web series. “Comparatively, the focus is now less on TV as now I want to do roles that I have not done so far. I respect the TV medium as through it I have got my identity. So, I will never say that I won’t do TV anymore! But the problem is commitment of long dates and repetition of the same kind of roles…kab tak wahi seedha-sadha accha baccha (good person) wala kirdaar karunga!”

All praise for the streaming medium, he says, “On OTT, we have a short date engagement and writers-directors think out of the box. They offer diversified roles that people won’t expect me to do! We as actors also enjoy it, for one, they’re challenging and then you get creative satisfaction. Like, in Tandav, people saw me in a different avatar which has some shades of grey as well. Since then, people started seeing me in a new light and the roles that came my way even surprised me. All the three projects I have done of late are very diverse.”

The actor is happy that his films are not facing release issues and reaching vast audiences. “Film Shorgul (2017), which we shot in Lucknow only, got a small release and nothing happened about it but on OTT it got a good response and people often talk to me about it. My last film Nobel Peace (2020), where I played the parallel lead, got rave reviews in film fests and also a good audience on OTT,” he says.

Tejwani was scheduled to shoot a series in Lucknow but that has been pushed back. “We were supposed to shoot in September but it got delayed and now combined dates have gone haywire. Now, it’s a big task that everyone’s dates fall in place so let’s see. I guess with two waves this has happened to a lot of projects but it is beyond our control.”

He is happy that normalcy is returning but is not letting his guard down. “Slowly things have gotten back to normal. Most of us are now doubly vaccinated but being a responsible family person and having children at home all precautions are being followed religiously,” he adds.