Gurmeet Choudhary: ‘We’re told, why will people go to theatres to see you?’

A still from the series

If there is one character Gurmeet Choudhary finds hard to turn down, it's of a man serving the nation. A case in point is his latest series, Commander Karan Saxena, which sees him essay an R&AW agent. For the actor, the Disney+ Hotstar offering - also starring Iqbal Khan and Hruta Durgule - is a means to fulfil his father's wish. "My grandfather was a freedom fighter, and wanted our family members to join the defence forces. My dad was in the Indian Army, but I wanted to become an actor. When I entered the industry, my dad had told me that if I ever get a chance to play an army officer or a character that can motivate the youth to join the army, I should. So, I did JP Dutta's Paltan [2018]."

In his two-decade career, the actor has transitioned from the small screen to movies and now OTT. He dismisses the notion that it has become easier for actors from television to break out into digital entertainment and films. "When you transition to movies, you are told, ‘People watch you on television. Why will they go to theatres to see you?' [I think] they will go, if they see me doing in movies what made [me] famous on television," he says.

Choudhary gained overnight popularity when he played Lord Ram in Ramayan. With Bollywood making multiple mythological movies, many feel that TV actors, who have been a part of mythological shows, should at least be screen-tested for them. Choudhary rues, "It's sad that it doesn't happen. I feel if a TV actor gets to play the same character on the big screen, the reach would be wider. It should happen."