Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; December 16, 2021)

While Fardeen Khan has almost completed the shooting of his comeback film Visfot, Zayed Khan is gearing up follow his cousin’s footsteps. In a quick chat, he talks about his second innings in Bollywood and the change that OTT platforms have brought about. Excerpts:

Your cousin, Fardeen Khan, is gearing up to make his comeback. We hear you’re also in the process of returning to Hindi films...
I have not seen a lot of people in a long time and a lot of people have not seen me either. I am working on something really interesting and exciting. There are two projects that I want the producers to have the pleasure of announcing. I have been around, working on myself. When things will start looking up for everyone, we will begin swiftly. We’re all being patient and letting this pandemic phase pass. As for Fardeen, I am really proud of my brother.

Have you been keeping a track of the work he has been doing these days?
When I look at Fardeen, I feel a sense of pride that he’s doing so much work and he’s doing so well for himself. I am just happy for him. There are a lot of things that one has to do, build and protect. There is an urge to be creative and to entertain people.

In the last few years, the business of cinema has changed, thanks to OTT platforms. As an actor, how do you perceive this change?
OTT platforms are important from the point of view of creativity and jobs for actors and technicians. It is definitely going to catapult into something massive. But does that mean cinemas die? I don’t think so. If that was the case, cricket matches and concerts would not happen on ground with so many people in attendance. People would only watch them on their flat-screens and mobile phones. But people are going to concerts, matches and watching movies and feeling a common set of emotions with people they don’t know. That makes us human and that won’t go anywhere. I think it’s criminal to not watch certain movies in cinemas. OTT is obviously a step ahead for the entertainment business, but that also means that the canvas for a film going to cinemas will only get bigger from this point forward.