Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Covid pandemic has not only changed the way the audience sees films, but also the way the films are made, said film actor Sharad Singh.
He was talking with media persons in the city on Wednesday in connection with his film ‘Faactory’, which is releasing in theatres on September 3. The movie is the debut directorial venture of Faisal Khan, the brother of Bollywood celebrity Aamir Khan.
Singh says that shooting has become much costlier due to the compulsions to stick to tough Corona-protection norms. The shooting crews have become smaller and the interaction between the members of the cast and the crew has reduced to almost zero. The gossiping sessions, the bonhomie, the back-slapping - all that has become a thing of the past. Crowds of fans are missing from shooting venues. “You come out of your hotel room only when you are needed on the sets and the moment your work is over, you are back in the room,” he says.
He said that though the people had got drawn to the OTT platforms during the pandemic but, now, with the disease waning, they would hopefully return to the theatres.
Singh, who hails from Hoshangabad, said that he is essaying the role of the villain in Faactory. Bhalla, the villanious character he plays, is a rich but a petty-minded man. On being asked how he landed the role, he said that he happened to meet Faisal Khan at the place of one of his friends in Mumbai. “He told me about the script and asked me to audition. It was after the audition that I discovered that I would be playing a major role,” he says.
Singh says that he has done action scenes in the film and a song has been shot on him.
Did odd jobs to survive
Actor Sharad Singh said that he had to struggle for 18 years in the entertainment industry before he could get a major role in a big-ticket film. “Living in Mumbai, I have been doing small roles in films and TV serials. It is not easy to survive in a mega city and so to make ends meet I had to work as a medical representative and do other odd jobs,” he said. Singh says that he is also a singer and his first album is set for release soon.
