Avinash Tiwary is currently seen in Khakee: The Bihar Chapter. The web series is presented by Neeraj Pandey and directed by Bhav Dhulia. It also stars Karan Tacker, Ashutosh Rana, and Nikita Dutta. It premiered on a digital platform on November 25. The Free Press Journal caught up with the actor for an exclusive chat. Excerpts:
How was it working with Neeraj Pandey in Khakee: The Bihar Chapter?
The most important thing which he added to me was faith. I was intimidated and petrified when I read the script. It seemed a very far fetched character to my upbringing and to where I lived. Neeraj had immense faith in me and he believed that I could do it and that faith did wonders to my confidence and I jumped into it. He gave me a free hand to go out and create it.
Did you feel a bit more responsible after you received praise in your debut film Laila Majnu?
I don’t know if it’s a responsibility but it’s nice to know that people like my work. I have had a simple view on this, I feel acting is a profession and I love it. I keep getting the job and interesting parts which resonate with the audiences. It’s not a burden but it’s motivating and inspiring towards people and you want to keep working on it.
How do you take the validation of being a good actor by the audience?
I don’t know if it makes sense, the only validation I need is from my directors. They are telling stories and they know what they want from me. The story told in a good way always resonates with the audience. I have been doing fascinating work. I have been exposed to international cinema in my early days. I studied in New York and have always pushed myself to become an actor, who would experiment.
How do you maintain doing quality work irrespective of the length of your roles on OTT?
I never looked at it as a OTT project or a film. Laila Majnu was a theatrical release. The Girl on The Train was earlier too a theatrical release but due to pandemic, it had to come out on OTT. I strongly believe that there has to be a high impact value on a project or a film you choose to do. There should be focus on how the story needs to be told and who’s telling it. The filmmaker becomes the most important part and if the character excites me, I am all game for it.
You have definitely carved a niche for yourself. How do you see your journey hereon?
It’s only getting bigger and better. My aspirations have grown tenfold. If all goes well, I will be having four big releases. I have put in a lot of hard work. I am grateful to opportunities that are coming my way. This is the first time ever where we can reach out to 190-200 countries due to OTT platforms. I believe within three to five years from now, we will have an international star from our country.
