Mukkabaaz fame Viineet makes a case for OTT platforms as he debuts with Bard Of Blood
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 26, 2019)

“All my life, I have wanted to adopt Mr Bachchan’s gait. After the trailer released, someone told me that there’s such intensity in my scenes that they were reminded of Bachchan saab. That’s the best compliment,” gushes Viineet Kumar Singh. The actor, who shot to fame with his boxer act in Mukkabaaz last year, has another promising project in Bard Of Blood. The Netflix show has him play a spy who is sent on a rescue mission to Balochistan.

Describing his character Veer Singh as “a shape-shifter”, the actor says it took him a while to internalise the unpredictable nature of his part. “Veer is shrewd and unpredictable. For this character, I had to understand a spy’s state of mind. I was provided with reading material for that. Veer’s language is integral — he sounds like a local and has been functioning covertly in the region [Balochistan]. So, I had to learn a particular dialect of Pashto for the show.”

The thriller, which stars Emraan Hashmi, marks his foray into the digital space. Pointing out that the OTT platform offers a wider reach, Singh adds, “It’s my chance to showcase my work to audience in 190 countries. I am here because of my love for acting. From Benaras to Mumbai, my journey has been to pursue my passion. People talk so much about how OTT is different from movies, but honestly, it isn’t. It’s shot with the same vigour. The best thing is that the medium allows an actor to delve deeper into his part and have a larger character arc.”