What made you sign up Kohrra?
I don’t know what the process of other people but all actors I think sign up for a script that they like. I think something that challenges your intellect. Something that is complex enough for you to portray and challenging enough. So I really loved the script in all those aspects. The show is primarily what you might want to call it murder mystery. Because that’s how it starts. But the show is a compliment on the color of Punjab actually. And the culture, the way, the people, the relationships, the interpersonal relationships. The very, very deep psyche of how politics and even love. So it’s a good show about that. Love and all relationships that matter. The show is about how people behave, how different people behave under different circumstances. And when there’s a murder, you know, and there’s so many people associated with it. How people behave, how people react. Someone who has lost a loved one, who’s dead is dead. Someone who’s lost the loved one. Someone who’s suspected. Someone who’s investigating. Someone who’s actually not even related to the murder but how their lives are getting affected. You know, so that’s why I said it’s a complex show.
Is it safe to say that the murder mystery genre is your favourite?
Yeah, I’ve always loved crime thrillers and I get a lot of crime thrillers. That’s true. But I like dramas. I don’t like dramatic shows but the right dose of drama, I really like it. I love doing comedies also. But right now it does look like, I know what you’re saying, it does look like, yeah.
How do you get into the skin of the characters?
There are a few things actually. I don’t think honestly I’m the best actor in the world. Who is? We’re just scratching the surface with respect to acting right now. My agenda, like I’ll tell you what, a lot of actors and a lot of makers also are usually, their acting styles are influenced by what they have already seen on screen. It’s a very weird thing. Because people try to mimic you, basically not acting. So I try to bring newness with respect to how I feel and behave, instead of being somebody else. My process is that I do a few things. I don’t do a lot of work. So when I do, I do it when I know that I can leave my full capability with the makers. That was the case with Gunjit Chopra and Sudip Sharma. These people have done so much research on the show and I had absolutely surrendered myself.
From TV, films to OTT – How will describe your journey?
It’s had its ups and downs, but that’s the life of an actor I think. Every actor I think goes through that. Because one, it’s a profession-based business. First, we started. The images and everything, it mattered a lot. And secondly, there’s tons of actors in our country.
Has OTT changed how you are percieved by the audience?
Of course, yeah. Not only me, it has revolutionised the whole filmmaking process, storytelling process. Long format is the real deal right now. The films don’t work. Television is not, I don’t know how it is doing. But OTT, the reason I’m saying this is if you have the conversations, the conversation right now, common man, is around the content of OTT. Nothing else. So yeah, it has revolutionized content for me, thankfully for me. But I’m getting a career to be honest with you. And I was just basically lucky to be a part and to be in the middle of the whole thing.
After Asur 2, Barun Sobti featured on Netflix’s series Kohrra. It is a murder mystery in which he is playing a cop.
