After a roller coaster 2021 – recovery from Coronavirus (in April 2021) and going back to work with a big ticket film (Adipurush), Vatsal Sheth hopes 2022 will help him reclaim lost ground professionally, despite the slowdown due to the current Coronavirus scenario. While his Gujarati debut (Hun Mari Wife Ne Ano Husband) is finally set to release theatrically, and another Hindi film on the floors, Vatsal is moving towards the OTT space too. Excerpts from a chat:

Vatsal recovered from COVID in April 2021 and for him, going back to work was the biggest high. He says, “The second half of 2021 was good for the entertainment industry in India we were able to resume work, good content was being created and theatres reopened to 100 per cent capacity. I ended the year on a high; I wrapped up Om Raut’s multilingual film, Adipurush, one film that I am very proud of. I got to work with a fantastic ensemble cast and have a terrific role.”

The Malang actor who was set to make his debut in regional cinema in 2020 confesses that he’s relieved that his long-delayed Gujarati film’s (Hun Mari Wife…) post production is now over and the film is ready for release. “My debut Gujarati film is a lighthearted rom-com shot entirely in London and was one of my pre-pandemic projects. I am optimistic that once the COVID scenario improves and the third wave is over, cinema halls will once again go back to their full occupancy level and people will watch films in theatres,” he says.

The pandemic has seen OTT’s reach expand manifold and viewing patterns get redefined in the last two years. Vatsal feels actors have to be “medium- agnostic” and move ahead with time. “A good actor is one who can learn and unlearn throughout his/her career. None of us can afford to be complacent at any point. I have tried all kinds of work which includes fun roles (Just Mohabbat or Taarzan), shows where I have played out-and-out dark characters (Ek Hasina Thi, Baazigar, loverboy with grey shades [Haasil]). I am glad to have them on my CV and these project me as a performer who can challenge himself to any extent,” he says.

Vatsal is now open to exploring work in the OTT space. He says, “OTT has changed the screen habits of urban Indians. Look at the popularity of Squid Game, its success clearly depicts that language is not a barrier anymore if you have a good concept in hand. Currently, I am in talks for a couple of OTT projects, it will be interesting to explore this medium.”

The pandemic had brought regional cinema to a grinding halt in 2020 and the first half of 2021 with barely any theatrical releases. Now that the Gujarati film industry is on a recovery mode and is on its way to gaining lost ground, Vatsal confesses he’s upbeat about doing regional cinema, especially Gujarati cinema.

“The last two years have been tough on regional filmmakers but the second half of 2021 has seen Gujarati films explore even the direct to OTT release route when theatres hadn’t reopened. This is the same route that Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films have taken too and is a smart move. When someone’s money is a stake, you can’t hold on to a project for a theatrical release. While a theatrical release gives you a massive high, it’s important to see that one’s work reaches audiences. The plus point is that our stories are heard and the maker gets some of his money back,” he says.

Vatsal feels, “A couple of Gujarati web series and films released on OTT were pretty interesting. There’s a lot of good work that's happening. I am discussing a couple of Gujarati film projects and if things go as planned, I’ll start shooting for my second Gujarati film soon.”

Vatsal started his career in showbiz as a child artiste in the show Just Mohabbat and has done his share of TV (Ek Hasina Thi, Rishton Ka Saudagar… Baazigar, Haasil) before taking a short break from the small screen. The actor who was last seen in Yeh Rishtey Hai Pyaar Ke in 2020 in an extended cameo says the sabbatical from TV wasn’t planned. He says, “I had some film commitments and I wanted to devote time to those. Doing a daily soap is time consuming and I didn’t have the bandwidth to handle TV and films at the same time. It wasn’t feasible.”

Vatsal adds, “TV hasn’t taken a backseat. I am waiting for a good show and dates that match and I will take one up post that. TV's popularity continues to be massive – loyal viewers have not moved on to OTT entirely. Plus, Hindi TV is also trying to be more in sync with what the millennial audience wants to watch. The makers are trying out some interesting concepts. I will come back on TV whenever I come across a good project.”

2020 and 2021 have been the greatest teachers for Vatsal. He says, “Almost all of us endured possibly what has been the toughest phase of all our lives during these two years. A lucky few were able to overcome tough times, but so many out there lost their livelihoods! At one point, I too thought how long can life go on like this. My wife Ishita and I tried to put out videos to help others de-stress. Ishita took up painting and we did whatever we could for our own sanity and also to create some positivity around us!”

Even though we are officially in the middle of the third wave, Vatsal feels this time around the recovery will be faster. “While it’s worrying that there’s another wave and our work might slow down again, we must stay positive. Thankfully, today slowly we are limping back as an industry and I know soon we will be running like before the pandemic had started. A lot of pre-pandemic projects that were on hold have resumed and soon they will be ready for release when things get better,” he says.