While many actors found their projects getting delayed due to the pandemic in the last two years, Naveen Kasturia had a bunch of digital releases including the much appreciated ‘TVF Aspirants’. The show, which featured Naveen in the lead role, turned out to be one of the most successful web shows of the recent times and proved to be a game changer for the actor.
In this interview, the actor talks about his film ‘Waah Zindagi’, how TVF Aspirants proved to be a game changer for him, why he doesn’t plan to direct a film in the immediate future, long-standing association with Arunabh Kumar and more.
‘Waah Zindagi’ was shot a couple of years back. Do you get affected when a project you have worked on gets delayed?
In the past, there have been multiple instances of my films getting severely delayed. So, I am quite experienced in that regard (laughs). As far as ‘Waah Zindagi’ is concerned, all of us had to wait for a while because of the pandemic. I am glad the audience will finally get to see it.
After having a digital release on Zee5, ‘Waah Zindagi’ is all set to have its world television premiere on &pictures HD.
Yes, it has got a digital and TV release almost simultaneously and that is quite rare. The film has an important message and I hope reaches out to the widest audience possible.
It is supposed to be one of the first films to have been based on the ‘Make In India’ initiative.
Yes, the film talks about how important and fruitful it is to stay connected to our roots. It explores a lot of other interesting themes as well.
Though you had been a part of many successful projects earlier, ‘TVF Aspirants’ proved to be a game changer for you. Has life changed in any way post the success of the show?
The number of offers coming my way has increased manifold. It has also made a lot of people look at me differently. The success of a project boosts your confidence, so it is always nice to see something you have worked very hard on reach out to a large number of people.
You have had a long-standing association with TVF and Arunabh Kumar. Way back in 2012, ‘Rowdies’ (a spoof on MTV Roadies produced by The Viral Fever) was the first original content made for the web. How do you look back at your association with TVF?
Apart from a lot of short-format content we did together, I have worked on two web shows with them. Those two shows happen to be the most successful projects I have worked on. Definitely, some magic happens when we collaborate. They work very hard on the script. They never talk about guns and crime. Their stories are very rooted and relatable. They keep things real and honest while making sure it has enough drama to appeal to a wide audience. I have seen Arunabh’s journey from the beginning and it is incredible to see him churning out quality content so consistently.
After studying robotics engineering, you started your career in the entertainment industry as an assistant director. Is there a plan to direct a film in the near future?
Directing a film was an aspiration but now, I find the entire process very tough. After working for so many years in the industry, I see the constraints and realize how difficult it really is to put a project together. Apart from the creative challenges, there are many other issues you face while making a film. I might make a film someday but there are no immediate plans to become a director.
We have mostly seen you in shows in the last couple of years. Do you plan to do more films now?
I always select a project based on the script. I never think about the medium or the format. Right now, I am working on a couple of shows including the third season of ‘Breathe’ but if some good offers come my way, I would love to do more films.
Waah Zindagi to have its world television premiere on &pictures HD on 6 January at 8 pm.