Amit Sial is delighted to have fetched two Best Supporting Actor nominations, in Series and Film categories, at the mid-day and Radio City Hitlist OTT Awards. But he is quick to note that with shows and movies offering strong characters today, the lines between leads and supporting roles are blurring. “Personally, I have never felt that my work was a supporting act in any of the [projects]. Most roles today are character-driven,” says Sial, whose acts in Maharani S02 and Qala have earned him two nods.

Though both characters have grey shades, they couldn’t be more disparate. In Netflix’s Qala, Sial plays music composer Sumant Kumar, who sexually abuses the protagonist in exchange for a career break. Under director Anvita Dutt’s watchful eyes, the actor makes his Sumant entitled and predatory, yet vulnerable when his chips are down. “Anvita’s immense faith in me is the reason for the impact that Sumant Kumar makes. Also, when a film is so beautifully crafted, you can be sure that even the smallest detail in the background will leave an impact. Films like Qala come once in a lifetime.”