Amol Parashar: There were people who questioned my versatility and ability

Actor Amol Parashar won hearts with his portrayal as Chitwan, in the web series Tripling. But with that popularity, came the risk of being typecast into similar roles. “There were people who questioned my versatility and said, ‘He does comedy, will he be able to do this?’ I heard all those things," says the actor, who turned 37 on September 17.

“I read scripts where the show was exactly like Tripling. So, I kept getting all kinds of work. I just had to choose. I started thinking ki aap yeh kyu bana rahe ho, ye toh ho chuka hai. Thanks to Tripling, bahut zyada wait nahi karna padta, kaam aa jaata hai. Before this show, maybe I wouldn’t have been a consideration,” he adds.

Does he have a fear of getting stereotyped by the audiences and makers again? “It can happen. It does happen to people,” says the actor, who will soon start shooting for Tripling 4, adding that, “But, I have been around a while. It is not like I turned up in Bombay and then suddenly the next day I have a show. For the audience out there, it might be the first time they ever noticed me, but people inside the industry, including writers and filmmakers, had seen my work, my tests and plays.”

Talking about his light-hearted character, which made many classify him into similar roles, was a surprise instead, he tells us, “In fact, Chitwan was a surprise. For many people, me playing that character was a big shocker. They said that, ‘I never imagined you playing such a character. I always imagined you in an intense or a romantic role.’”

Having said that, Parashar, who will next be seen in Santosh Singh’s upcoming comedy flick Nausikhiye in November, says that he still loves comedy as a genre. “It is my favourite, both as a viewer and actor. He also exclaims that the situation earlier was much worse, but now people have started looking at him with a broader perspective slowly. “Bubbles can be created by the world and even by ourselves. Pehle tags zyada lagaaye jaate the, ab kam hota hai. It is difficult to jump to the big screen, vahan khaai thodi zyada hai. You have to work harder. It takes a little work, because as actors, we also have to step out of our comfort zone. We get used to the money we are getting. So, are you willing to go out and take a risk with a character? Work with new people? Step out of your image? You have to go beyond your limits,” the actor wraps up.