Actors are underestimated on TV: Kritika Kamra

Kritika Kamra has a grouse. She doesn’t appreciate the term TV actor and feels they are “stereod”. The Kuch Toh Log Kahenge actor says, “I have been lucky to get projects on different mediums and I have been able to deliver them successfully. But I have to say, TV isn’t looked upon with respect for the actors. Maybe, it’s the content or the fact that shows are an everyday factor. I want to be known as an actor, not a TV actor.”

The audience has a lot of love for the actors and while TV brings with it a lot of popularity and money, Kritika feels, the industry doesn’t take them seriously. “It is assumed that if you act on TV, you can only do so much. Actors are underestimated on TV. I want to break that stereo and that’s why I consciously I take on other projects too.”

She says people think that if you are acting on TV you are “a loud actor” and “would not be able to do anything else”. “People think you wouldn’t be able to deliver anything deep or intellectual. Maybe it is true as not everyone does different work. But my endeavour is to act in different mediums and show that I have a personality of my own. Recently my short film was well received.”

Actors on TV also burn out faster as they work on daily soaps for years, shooting for almost 28 days a month. That is not only taxing but also perhaps affects performance. The Prem Ya Paheli Chandrakanta actor adds, “I take breaks to ensure that there is no burn out. When I play a role for a long time, it would be difficult for the audience to accept me in another role. It is necessary to take breaks not only for the audience but also to rejuvenate. Actors who do films don’t get cast as there are gaps in between their projects.”

Kritika is also sad about the fact that “very few people have been able to reinvent themselves on TV”. She adds that while many actors have “lasted for years, most actors have done the same kind of work”. “If you ask anyone they will tell you that there is very little exciting work on TV. The small screen can offer only that much as it is limited when it comes to creativity. That’s why I take up projects and roles in different mediums to enrich myself. Thankfully, people have accepted me in different roles and I am not looked upon as an actor on TV. TV gives you popularity but you have to catapult it into something bigger for yourself,” says Kritika.