It’s hard to make the transition from television to films or the web, but Karan Tacker took the gamble and waited until the right part came to him. After Neeraj Pandey’s Special Ops in 2020, he followed it up with Khakee: The Bihar Chapter (2022), and since then, the perception of the industry has changed. But the waiting game does make one question: is it worth it? Tacker feels it is. Now, with the sequel to the JioHotstar series set to stream on the platform, the actor says he is eagerly waiting to see how the audience reacts to the growth in his character. In conversation with mid-day, he talks about the show, the influence the filmmaker has had on him, and what it means to have this project on his filmography.
Excerpts from the interview:
TV makes you a household name, movies give an actor the thrill of being showcased on the 70mm screen. What does OTT do for you?
As far as I’m concerned, whether it’s OTT, films, or television, the love of what I do has not changed at all. Even if today Special Ops or Khakee: The Bihar Chapter had been on a film screen versus television, I would have put in the same amount of effort and love. So, it doesn’t change anything for me as an actor. Of course, the consumption pattern changes somewhere, but I feel in today’s times, what’s most important is the fact that people stick to the product. Whether you’re pressing play on a TV set to watch a series or buying a ticket to go to the theatres, as long as people stick around to watch the entire film or show, that’s what truly matters.
(From left) Kay Kay Menon and Karan Tacker in a still from Special Ops 2. pics/Instagram
Post Special Ops, did anything change with respect to the kind of offers that came to you? Did it change the perception the industry had about you?
Oh, 100 per cent. I think post Special Ops, the biggest perception change was the fact that Neeraj Pandey offered me Khakee. That was just the beginning of it. Thereafter, it has been really humbling because I feel like I’ve been accepted with open arms. The general perception of me as an artiste has changed drastically. People look at me differently now. I get invited to rooms I didn’t earlier. I have makers who respond to my texts and call me in for meetings, which never happened earlier. These are the small things that you truly enjoy over a period of time as an actor. You have the luxury of saying no to work you don’t creatively feel inclined towards and wait around for that one offer you really want to work on.
Going back into the world of Special Ops 2, did you have to start from scratch, or did the role come easier to you?
I mean, Special Ops 2 is a different world altogether. Of course, I had to start from scratch, and that’s a delight because I absolutely love playing Farooq. I feel like the character has become a part of me. So, getting into it wasn’t hard as we always knew there was going to be a sequel. I always had that character as muscle memory. This time, the character has this innate silence and he is more in the shadows than he’s ever been. There’s a lot of action, and thrill, so I had to prepare for a lot of hand-to-hand combat. Months before the show kicked off, I started prepping on my own.
The best part is this show has nothing to do with gimmicks like flips and tricks. We’ve done a lot of long one-shots to make it look as believable and real as possible. Neeraj sir likes to shoot his content in a way that feels like you’re in the front seat of where the combat is happening. He insisted that the action has to connect. You can’t hide from the camera, and he doesn’t like cheat shots. He loves one-takes. So as an actor, you’ve got to be prepared to get down and dirty and come out bruised. I’ve taken a lot of falls, punches, and kicks. But it’s all worth it. I don’t know if it comes easier to me, because the idea is, even if it seems easy on paper, we actors are masochists by nature. We want to make it tougher. So we’ll constantly find more layers and sub-layers.
What have you learned from Pandey as an actor?
I think I’ve learned about decorum, love for the job, to not blow your own trumpet, and to let the work do the talking. I’m so happy to have him as a mentor, and if I may say so, as a friend, someone I look up to.