Aamir Ali is seen as a cop in Suparn Verma’s The Trial: Pyaar, Kaanoon, Dhokha. The Free Press Journal caught up with the actor for an exclusive chat.
Excerpts:
How does it feel to be exploring newer avenues as an actor on OTT?
I’m a newcomer here irrespective of the work that I have done in the past. I’m just enjoying myself while taking to learning all over again. The reason I have ventured in this space is because I wanted to prove and enjoy myself as an actor. OTT feels like a new playground to begin with. I’m loving the space and the people that I'm working with.
The Trial features an ensemble of acclaimed actors. Was it daunting yet exciting for you?
That’s exactly what you’d want to do as an actor, right? To work with these amazing actors and just absorb whatever you want from them. One of the biggest reasons why I’m a part of the show is because of Suparn. Of course, there is Kajol, for sure. She’s everything. We’ve always loved her all our lives. It’s a dream come true. How do I say it? There are a few actors that you want to share screen space with. My dream is to work with Amitabh Bachchan someday. So, Kajol has been one of them.
How was your camaraderie with Kajol?
You just love her and she’s a nice person. When I first met her on-set, I did feel the jitters because she is such a huge star. But she’s very sweet. She’s very wise and that’s how you learn why and where she rightfully is at. Although I have to say, I was very mindful about whatever I’d say in front of her (laughs). I’ve worked a lot on the show with Kubbra (Sait), who is a fabulous actress. We have a certain track going on which the audience will know when they watch the show.
You’ve played a cop earlier in F.I.R. How crucial was it to create a differentiation between both acts?
Pradeep Shinde, my character in The Trial, is not a superhero. He’s emotional and vulnerable. On the other hand, Bajrang Pandey is the kind of a cop that you shouldn’t be. He was full of fun, craziness and he was scared of rats. It’s to the credit of director Shashank Bali that Pandey was created so well that people still come up to me and say how much they love him and Chandramukhi Chautala together. I can’t run away from that, but I wanted to play a cop as cops usually are and I wanted to rely on somebody who could portray me like that.
With Kubbra Sait in The Trial: Pyaar, Kanoon, Dhokha
Do you think OTT has blurred the lines between Film and TV?
It wasn’t easy for me to break into the real OTT space after having done television for so many years. My initial offers were very TV-based OTT roles which I did not want to do. Then I’d rather stick to TV, why jump across, right? I had to wait for makers to place their faith in me. OTT has given me a space where I need not portray myself as a TV star. I want people to see me as an actor now. There is still a certain prejudice towards TV actors.
Could you share some of your experience?
A lot of people don’t say it but they show it by not casting us. I’ve faced this a lot initially. People are very sweet and they meet you nicely. Then they say in the same breath that they don’t see you as a particular character. They can’t seem to imagine me doing something different. Right now, I just want to work with creators who can give me some amazing shows to be a part of. Like say a Jubilee or Scoop in recent times.
