'The uncertainty is a challenge'

Actor Amol Parashar was noted for his role in ‘Traffic’, the Hindi remake of a critically acclaimed Malayalam thriller of the same name. The young artiste has also acted in plays, TV commercials and other films like ‘Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year’ and ‘Babloo Happy Hai’.

Amol recently featured in two web series, namely ‘TVF Tripling’ and ‘TVF Bisht Please’.
In a chat with Anushree Agarwal, he sheds light on his work, challenges and more.

From a degree at IIT to arts...how did the shift happen?
I started doing theatre at IIT. After my engineering degree, I began working in a corporate firm, but I missed being on stage so much that I decided to take a break and do theatre for a while. Things just
took off from there. I realised my true calling and soon,  Bollywood also happened.

How was it working with Manoj Bajpayee in ‘Traffic’?
It was lovely! Somewhere, he’s consciously kept his original personality away from the media glare. He’s done some intense roles but in reality, he’s very fun-loving, young at heart and light-hearted about his own work.

A male and female actor you’d like to work with.
Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh. Both are very interesting actors.

Tell us about your web series ‘TVF Bisht Please’.
The protagonist is Neetu Bisht (played by Nidhi Bisht). I play Soham who is supposed to be her best friend but he’s always mean to her and making fun of her. It’s a farcical show about a small-town girl working in a big city and how she survives in the cruel world there.

Your best TV commercial so far.
My latest ‘Wildstone’ and ‘Pepsi’ commercials. They’ve come out really well. Both are very different from each other and people have liked them a lot.

A play you’d love to work in.
I’d love to do a Shakespeare play!

Any challenges you’ve faced in Bollywood...
I think it’s the uncertainty which is a challenge for most people including me and learning how to deal with it. You can only work on your craft and hope to be in the right place at the right time.

What do you do in your leisure time?
I’ve started writing, and also learning music. I also go for a run, exercise and meet up with friends. Sometimes, I try to watch films and consciously learn from them and the actors involved therein.

Three random things about you...
I am an engineer from IIT which I think everyone knows by now! I have lived in a house with a magician so I know a bit of magic. I don’t like it when a stranger on the road calls out to me saying ‘Hello’. It gives me goosebumps and I also find it rude.

What’s in the pipeline?
I recently shot for a film called ‘Aapke Kamre Mein Koi Rehta Hai’ with Swara Bhaskar and a few others. It’s a light romantic comedy involving bachelors living together in a city, struggling with mediocre jobs, falling in love and dealing with it all. Another film, ‘Disco 82’, should be ready soon. It is a dark film based on underground parties, featuring newcomers, directed by Karan Rana.