Prejudices and superstitions run hand in hand in the entertainment industry. From changing the spelling of your name to wearing rings and making special prayers, everyone has done it all just to get a little closer to success or to ward off evil. Buri nazar ka kya bharosa! Actor Sharad Malhotra initially added a double ‘S’ to his name because “somebody had suggested that adding another letter to his name would probably fast-track [success]. It did for a while,” he says. The actor later opted to go back and stick to the basics.
He took a break from television after his show Vidrohi (2022), then went on to do the web series Honey Trap Squad (2023). Now Malhotra has returned after two years with the micro-series Galat on an app founded by Krantibhai and Vikram Bhatt.
The series, directed by Shadab Khan and produced by the Bhatts, is what drew the actor to the show. “I think it is one of my most fulfilling experiences shooting with two amazingly talented genius filmmakers,” says the actor of the show that tells the story of a 40-plus man who falls in love with his close friend’s daughter, some 20 years younger than him.
Often, when actors do bold and explicit roles, especially after a gap, the narrative is that actors have to take up whatever comes their way. When asked if it was true, Malhotra shares, “In the last 20 years of my career, I have been extremely choosy about the work I do. I can’t say how everyone chooses their roles, to each his own. For me, it’s the content [that matters]. Even if the hero looks heroic, how effective would that be in terms of the storytelling [is what matters]. If I have expectations, so do my fans and viewers. So, more than [looking for] bold roles, I look at the story, and the arc and flow of the character. If a [role] demands intimacy, that is fair enough. Ever since we have been exposed to world cinema, the current generation’s conditioning has changed a lot. If the story can keep the audience on the edge, it’s great.” Malhotra says that he calls a spade a spade and his only aim is “to act”. “I am here to do my job with utmost honesty and sincerity.”
Ask him if he was sceptical about portraying a character romancing a girl 20 years younger than him, and he says, “When I heard the story initially, it was a little alarming. It’s not a regular story. I [wondered] how we are going to show this to the audience and will they be accepting of it. We were obviously hesitant about it. But I was surprised that [after the show launched], people DMed me saying that it came across beautifully, especially the emotional scenes. In fact, some even messaged saying that they could relate to it.”
While doing films, television, and web shows, an actor gets ample leeway and time to emote and feel every shade of the character. But in a micro-series like Galat, Malhotra claims he had to go through the emotions quickly. “It’s obviously challenging. That was one of the primary reasons why I wanted to test myself as an actor because you just get about two-and-a-half minutes to be in the episode, hook your viewers, act, and perform keeping in mind the technical and emotional aspects. So as an actor, it was a first for me. I feel everyone wants to be part of this sudden vertical wave, which has swept across the country,” he accepts.
The micro-series on Instagram is already in the works for another season. “We’ve left the story on a cliffhanger. But I don’t wish to reveal much.”
Up next, Malhotra has already wrapped up shooting for two web shows and is all set to start shooting for another. A source informs, “Sharad will be playing a cop in a show. In another show, he is playing a dark character, bloody and twisted.”
What is a micro-series?
A short series where each episode doesn’t go beyond two to three minutes. The show is usually streamed on social media.