Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; August 1, 2020)

A day after Sushant Singh Rajput’s death by suicide (on June 14), actor Amol Parashar had taken to social media with a series of emotional tweets that talked about the struggles of ‘young actors’ from ‘out of town’. During a recent chat with BT, Amol opened up on what had led to that outburst. He said, “Sushant’s death was shocking. I am sure almost everybody who lives alone must have received a call from their parents after the news broke. Families will be even more concerned if their children are part of the same profession.”

The actor, who hails from Delhi, is a qualified mechanical engineer. However, he left a high-paying job to pursue his passion for acting. When asked about the insider-outsider debate that doesn’t seem to abate, he replied, “Yes, I am from out of Mumbai, and I relate more to the experiences of people like me. But, if everybody chooses to use the term ‘outsider’ for people like me, it puts undue pressure on us to get ‘inside’ the industry. And, trust me, the ‘inside’ in itself is ambiguous and intangible.”

He continued, “Having said that, you start belonging here the day you land; that’s the beauty of it. And, you make it more and more your own with each passing day. Everybody has their own journey, no matter where they start from. Maybe, when you come from a background which has nothing to do with films, it takes a couple of years more to figure out how the wheels turn in this machinery. That requires patience and perseverance.”

Over the past few years, Amol did have his lean phases, but the support of his loved ones kept him going. He said, “It is tough, but the brighter side is that such times give you an opportunity to try other things. When I was not excited about the acting offers coming my way, I explored other crafts, like writing.”

About his future plans, he said, “I am going to do what I have been doing all this while — do good work and push my own boundaries. And, not forget to have fun while I am at it. Most of us are here because we love acting and storytelling, and we should not forget that.”