Pavan Malhotra: I just want to be part of good stories

Veteran actor Pavan Malhotra has delivered back-to-back hits with OTT series like Grahan, Tabbar and Shiksha Mandal. The actor refuses to slow down and limit himself to only web-series as he is readily doing films as well.

“Theatre has its own charisma and OTT has its own reach. For now, I just want to be a part of good stories! As an actor, I perform for camera according to what is written in the script for me,” says Malhotra who recently wrapped another web-series Lawyers Story that was shot in Prayagraj.

The Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013) actor adds, “I am enjoying the phase. To date, whatever I have done it was with full honesty and dedication. Since I started with Nukkad (1986), then Baag Bahadur (1989), Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro, Black Friday (2004), Judwaa (2017) and till date whatever I have done so far has all fallen into my lap. And, what I did after those projects in terms of performance, is for my audience to judge.”

Malhotra is happy that on OTT he got a chance to play lengthy roles. “Web platform is flooded with films and series but with God’s grace I have done only three series and the graph has become bigger and bigger. A few years back, I did a film Setters (2019), that we shot in Varanasi, but it failed miserably and on the nearly same subject we made Shiksha... and it became second most viewed show on the platform in 2022.”

Malhotra has multiple projects lined-up for release. “I have completed the shoot for the film Love Hackers, Oh! My God2 with Akshay Kumar and Tera Kya Hoga Lovely (with Randeep Hooda and Ileana D’Cruz). Next, I am shooting a series with director Raj Kumar Gupta followed by another film.”

On shooting multiple projects in UP, he says, “This was my second project in Prayagraj after Road to Sangam which won some 24 international awards including best film and director at Mami Film Festival. I am sure people come here for subsidy, but the best part is that the public here is very shoot-friendly and welcoming. Also nowadays, the focus is on realistic scripts and locations so that’s the reason makers are heading to places like Lucknow, Prayagraj and Varanasi specially for OTT series as you get a lot of content to shape the characters.”