Actor Asha Negi, who made her debut with Ekta Kapoor’s much-loved show Pavitra Rishta, is today a known face on OTT. With projects like Baarish, Ludo, Abhay 2, Love Ka Panga, Khwabon Ke Parindey and the recently released Collar Bomb, the actress is making her mark with diverse roles and winning hearts with her performances.
Speaking about her innings on the OTT, Asha says, “It has been a happy ride. I get to play different parts. The most special being Collar Bomb as it allowed me to play a cop. My mother wanted me to join the Indian Army, so when I played this character it was like living a close life of an Army officer as a cop. Similarly, Khwabon Ke Parindey offered a lot of travel and a completely new character from what I was doing in television shows.”
Asha is one of the few actors to have worked on different platforms — television, OTT, films. As an actor, when asked which platform makes her the happiest, she was quick to respond, “OTT”. “I am enjoying working in the web space. A television show goes on for years and I don’t have that patience anymore. On the web, I am doing different characters and the duration of the show and shooting is also less so you have more opportunities for new characters. And unlike television, there are no daily telecast issues so we work comfortably at our own pace, without compromising on our performance. Undoubtedly, the web has given several opportunities to film and television actors. There are many options for actors now,” she shares.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, many filmmakers took the OTT route to release their movies. This digital release boom led to a few of Asha’s movies like Anurag Basu’s Ludo and the recent Jimmy Sheirgill-starrer Collar Bomb, skipping theatrical outings. But the actor says she has no regrets about missing the big screen. “Rather, I feel grateful to be a part of these films (Ludo and Collar Bomb). OTT has a lot of content for people when they are at home because of the pandemic.”
OTT has also changed how the audience consumes content. More than the stars, the story and entertainment factor have taken prominence. “I think if the audience is not entertained, no project will work. I was watching a Korean film a few days back and that’s when I thought that if this was made into a Bollywood film would it have worked? While making the content we have to keep the Indian audience in mind and think about the genres they would like. So yes, in India we need to create good content to keep the entertainment factor alive,” explains the Pavitra Rishta actor.
For the last few years, many actors have either ventured into film production or turned directors. Does she have similar aspirations? “Yes, I want to become a producer. As an actor, whatever I am offered I choose the best suitable project for myself. But as a producer, I will make content that I want the Indian audience to watch. As a producer, I can also bring some novelty to the content. Though I am not sure if I would like to act in projects produced by me... I am not good at multitasking. I think at the initial stage I would just produce and see how it turns out,” she signs off.
