Deep Saxena (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 19, 2022)

Actor Rajpal Yadav, who feels grateful to be working during these tough pandemic times, is glad that so many mediums of entertainment are now thriving. “The future of art is bright for web series, cinema and TV. Looking at the kind of changes that are happening in our field, the next 10 years will be a golden period for us,” he says.

The Hungama (2003) actor is amazed with the variety of roles that are coming his way. “Kala jitni bikharti hai, utni hi nikharti hai. In our country, we have such diverse cultures, stories and concepts, and only a small fraction of that comes on screen,” says Yadav, who has been receiving a lot of web offers, but he hasn’t debuted in the OTT space, yet. 

“I only work on my conditions. For the last few years, I was avoiding the web space because of the abuses in most screenplays. If something (abusive language) is part of the storyline, then it can be accepted, but not just for the sake of it. For me, the concept is bacche, boodhe aur naujawaan, sabko manoranjan mile ek samaan,” explains the actor.

But, the 50-year-old appreciates that OTT has removed the class and cost barrier, and has made entertainment affordable for everyone. “Cinema had become unaffordable for the masses. But today, with OTT, a farmer can get entertained in between his lunch break with the same content that was beyond his reach (until a few years ago). This is truly a revolution,” says Yadav, who will soon be seen in many films, including Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Ardh.