A dil Hussain was recently in Delhi to be a part of the annual pop-culture festival Delhi Comic Con. The actor, who played Aditya Sahil in Star Trek: Discovery, spoke to us about his upcoming projects, how OTT has given good actors opportunities they didn’t have before, his favourite comics and more.

Having been a part of multiple OTT projects and with a few more lined up, Adil feels that while films are like short stories, OTT is like reading a novel as it gives creators more freedom to tell their stories. 

“Because it has the liberty of giving creators longer formats and due to its sheer reach and expanse, we can go home with the smaller characters, who otherwise remain in the background, and explore their worlds. You can go home with someone playing a havaldar and see their world. We get to see so many good actors, who we wouldn’t have otherwise been aware of. Actors like Jaideep Ahlawat from Paatal Lok or Rajesh Tailang from Delhi Crime, who was my classmate at the National School of Drama, would not have gotten such opportunities if not for streaming platforms. Rajesh would’ve been playing some hero’s friend or a smaller role, which is a disgrace,” says Adil.

The actor adds, “Apart from that, audiences are now being introduced to different lifestyles and cultures. For instance, I have the freedom to watch a film like Kantara any time I’d like and on whichever device I want. So I feel OTT is not just here to stay but is set to get bigger and bigger. I feel lucky to be a part of this boom.”

When asked about what he feels about a surge in films belonging to the action, adventure, sci-fi and fantasy genres (like Brahmastra, Minnal Murali or the upcoming Shaktimaan film), Adil feels that while it is a good start, creators need to work harder to achieve perfection.

“See, if I have two or three hours to watch something, I’d rather watch something that is very well done. Although I’d love to see Indian films making a mark in the superhero genre, and I can be biased towards an Indian cinematic creation, but I’d prefer giving marks to quality rather than just being a loyalist. In many Indian projects, I feel the VFX and storyline both need work,” says Adil.

Talking about his upcoming projects, he says, “There is one upcoming international project I’m doing with a popular streaming platform, but I’m not allowed to talk about it (laughs). I’m also doing a few films, which audiences shall know about soon.”

Since we caught up with Adil at a pop-culture convention, how could we let him go without knowing his favourite superhero? “I know new heroes have come in, but my favourites shall forever remain The Phantom and Mandrake The Magician,” he says.