In a career spanning over two decades in showbiz, actor Shreyas Talpade has dabbled in multiple mediums — from theatre and TV to films and OTT. While some are under the impression that one medium is lesser than the other, he doesn’t subscribe to that school of thought. Talpade doesn’t “sit on a high horse” or look down on any work. The Kaun Pravin Tambe? (2022) actor says, “Ours is an uncertain profession. But there are many opportunities out there. It’s in your head that ‘main yeh hoon aur yeh nahin kar sakta’. Par kyun nahin kar sakte? Aakhir kaam hai.”

The 47-year-old, who started out as an actor with Marathi TV shows and theatre, didn’t always feel so secure in his career. For him, this wisdom was hard learnt as he recalls the time he almost quit the movie industry:

“In 2012, a few of my films didn’t work out. Some that I had shot for didn’t even release. In 2014, I acted in and produced the Marathi film Poshter Boyz. Then things started looking up with the Hindi version, Poster Boys, and Golmaal Again (both 2017). It was difficult for me to be idle. Had it not been for these opportunities, I would have really quit [films] around 2012. But, the best thing to do is to keep working.”

Talpade, who shares a good equation with actor Anupam Kher, says that the Uunchai (2022) actor also gave him the same advice: “When I asked him, ‘How have you done 500 odd films till now?’, he told me, ‘I just keep working’.”

He adds, “There are highs and lows, but we should remember that work is just a part of our lives. Our job is to entertain.”