Sudhanshu Pandey: Like OTT and films, it is equally difficult to be part of a TV show

Sudhanshu Pandey is riding high on the success of his ongoing TV show. In the last twenty years, he has featured in movies, TV shows and of late, web shows too. But the actor admits that he got ample love and fame his films and web shows, and he gives a lot of credit to TV as well but doesn’t make one better than the other. “While my show’s success has made me a household name, I won’t say that TV has given me more fame than films. I think TV does make an actor popular but the flip side is that the moment the show ends, you are out of sight. I believe that every medium has its own advantage and my show’s success has been tremendous. My character is so popular and people love to hate him. It has been a great journey for me and I would love to continue as long as people love the show,” he divulges

Often, actors want to pursue acting and opt for films and lately it’s been the case OTT, that seems promising. Ask him if the small screen has been a second or third choice for actors and he doesn’t agree. “Today, it is equally difficult to be a part of a TV show as it is with an OTT show or films. There are millions of actors trying to get into one serial. There is a huge competition and it is not easy to act on the tube. These days, I have seen actors from OTT and films keen on doing TV as it provides security, regular income for many actors which is important and required to sustain and survive in a city like Mumbai,” says the actor.

Not just love and popularity, he has been enjoying respect and appreciation for his hard work on the small screen. The 46-year-old has been basking in the love of his audiences which has put him back in the limelight, which every actor wants. “Look at celebrities like Shilpa Shetty, Remo Dsouza, Rohit Shetty and Farah Khan who enjoy being on TV. They have film releases once in a few years but the only connect they have with their audience is through their TV appearances, not to mention it gives them good money and fame. I wouldn’t say TV is not a third choice anymore, in fact it’s a first choice for many,” asserts Pandey

The unit of his show was stationed in Nagar Haveli in a resort and shot for their show in a bio bubble since last two months. “In the Covid scenario, moving to a different place to shoot was the only choice as ours is a daily soap. Everyone in the cast and unit agreed as you don’t want the show to stop. It was different experience to be stationed in one place for so long. When we heard that we would be returning to Mumbai, it felt unreal. All of us were quite excited to come back and ran from the place, almost immediately (laughs),” he shares