Jaaved Jaaferi: ‘The definition of a hero in Hindi cinema has just got stuck with the idea of Salman Khan and Amitabh Bachchan bashing villains’

Actor Jaaved Jaaferi  feels the advantage of the series format is that it is like a book and the more you watch you get absorbed in it. In a book, you can play with many characters. In the same way, web shows give them time to explore characters.  In an interview with Firstpost, he explains how in the series format one can go into the different shades, and nuances and that becomes an advantage. There is more detailing of characters on the digital platform. Excerpts:  Tell us about the character Bittu mama in  Never Kiss Your Best Friend ? I was not associated with Season 1. What I was associated with was Season 1.5 which happened during the lockdown. It was extremely exciting territory because we were self-shooting during the lockdown when everybody was in their own homes on an iPhone11 pro. The writer, director, producer and cinematographer of the web show, all came together from different parts of the world over a zoom call. For me the way we shot the show was the most exciting part. Season 2 is a continuation of Season 1.5. The character is an integral part of the story. Bittu mama’s basic interaction in the web show is with his sister and his niece. The most interesting thing about Bittu Mama is that he is not a hopeless romantic, but an extremely hopeful romantic. He after thirty years still has some hope that maybe he will get to meet the person he loved. He does meet her after thirty years and he believes that a person can only love once and that stays with him forever. After thirty years fate does bring them together. But he is apprehensive and hopeful and the character doesn’t know how to go ahead with this because the love of his life has moved on. In the second season, there is much more commotion happening. The relationship gets a little more complicated in the second season. How much do you relate to the character? There is a certain innocence about this person to which I can relate. Bittu mama has a quality of wanting to learn something new and this is the quality I relate to. The definition of love for him is different and he believes you can love one person in your lifetime. I feel my generation gave time to love and allowed it to evolve, unlike today’s generation who believes in instant love like instant food. Youngsters today don’t have the patience to let love evolve. Your opinion on the series format… It is a wonderful time the way stories are being told. In a film, we have just two hours and in Indian films, you do get three hours and there is not much time and scope for the character to develop, unlike the series format. The advantage of the series format is that it is like a book and the more you watch you get absorbed in it. In a book, you can play with so many characters. And go into the depth of the characters**.** In a web series, I get the time to explore characters. I can go into their shades, and nuances and that becomes an advantage. There is more detailing of characters on the digital platform. Watching a series on OTT is like reading a book on a train and you don’t need to watch it in one go. You can just put a bookmark and again on your journey back you can go start watching from where you left. OTT gives you the convenience to pick it up from wherever you want. Digital platforms are a great territory not only for actors and directors but for the audience too because they like the convenience that comes with it. How with the digital platform the entire concept of a hero has changed? The whole concept of the hero is changing with OTT. The people who lead the story are heroes now. The protagonist is a hero. If you are watching something like  ‘Paatal Lok’  or ‘ Panchayat’  it is a story of one person. With the OTT boom, the definition of a hero has changed. Now the question is how do you define a hero? Is it only when he does something heroic? In a digital platform, the hero is a protagonist, he is not a person who is a saint and who fights fifty villains to save his heroine. The definition of a hero in Hindi cinema has somehow got stuck into just Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan bashing villains. That’s the Hindi film definition of a hero. Technically speaking in Hollywood, I don’t see that word being used. You refer to heroes as leads. What according to you are the advantages of the OTT platform? This is the best time for actors, writers, and directors. Here you don’t need to worry about who is going to distribute it, who is going to sell it. The OTT platforms are not worried that if I invest fifty crores in a film, I will have to recover fifty crores right. It is more on valuation. The business model has changed. And most importantly OTT doesn’t have those boundaries. There is no language boundary either. India is a huge territory for the different OTT platforms because we are making content in so many languages. Content-wise OTT is far more democratic considering the opinions, views and subjects that they talk about. For many actors who are making a comeback through OTT, for them it is a new territory now, otherwise, the time frame of a film limits you as a craftsman. OTT gives you so much more to explore as an actor. Look at Sushmita Sen she too made a comeback. For a lead role in Hindi movies or Indian movies, they used to always want young people. The look of the film is also young and mostly about a young guy who sings and dances and bashes up people. But OTT allows us to tell stories about people who are middle-aged, who are old, and it could be anybody from any sexual orientation. You can tell stories about them and they become the lead for the story. So, we are not restricted to age or typecast. That is the whole advantage of OTT. What you did in the entertainment industry was groundbreaking. But do you think being an actor now would have been better for you? That’s what life is. Look at cricket and how that game has evolved over the years.  Look at what Sunil Gavaskar did for cricket and what Virat Kohli is doing now. It is always a progression. Read all the  **_Latest News_** _,_  **_Trending News_** _,_  **_Cricket News_** _,_  **_Bollywood News_** _,_  **_India News_**  and  **_Entertainment News_**  here. Follow us on  Facebook_,_  Twitter and  Instagram_._