Apara Mehta, who is doing a cameo in United State Of Gujarat, says that she took up a Gujarati show for the love of her mother tongue. She shares, “I can’t say no to a good project in my mother tongue. Also, sharing screen space with Ragini Shah again feels great. She is a senior actor and like an elder sister to me.”

She adds, “I had also enjoyed doing Bachubhai (2023) because it was a very important character. Surprisingly, I haven’t been offered any Gujarati film after that. But I would love to do more Gujarati films if I get good roles. I am glad to see that the industry (D-Town) is in a better space now and makers should keep exploring contemporary subjects. I am in the process of shifting to a new flat and have been busy. So, I have become a cameo queen (laughs); I did cameos in Suhagan Chudail and Wagle Ki Duniya-Nayi Peedhi Naye Kissey.”

Talking about the trend of actors being cast based on their social media popularity, she shares, “It is wrong to cast actors based on their Instagram following. There are times when people cast based on their social media popularity fall flat on their faces while essaying a role. Acting is not as easy as people think. There is a difference between creating 20-second reels and playing a character on a show for a long time.”

Elaborating about the challenges TV actors face while pursuing OTT projects, she adds, “Unfortunately, makers of OTT shows don’t want to cast TV actors. There is this perception that TV actors are overexposed and also loud actors. It is not true. TV actors are popular and extremely punctual and professional; they can immediately grab eyeballs and do a great job when they take up any OTT project. I know that when I did Decoupled, the director (Hardik Mehta) had to really fight for me.”

Talking about her experience of doing OTT projects, she says, “Acting has changed over the years and while doing Decoupled, I had my share of insecurities as I struggled initially to make the necessary adjustments. I kept asking the director if I was doing fine. Acting on OTT is very different but thanks to my experience, I quickly managed to do what was needed. By the time I did my next OTT project (Staff Room-Teacheron Ka Adda), I was confident. I have a very expressive face and I am a very expressive person. But for my OTT projects, I had to tone down things a bit and unlearn a lot of things. I am new to Instagram and still not quite savvy with the medium. However, it’s wrong when people troll actors playing negative roles. They are just doing a job and a show is meant for entertainment.”

Talking about Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka (a remake of the Gujarati show Sapna Na Vavetar) which completed 25 years earlier this year, Apara says, “Apart from the great job done by the director and all actors, the show’s brilliant writing (Aatish Kapadia) was its biggest USP. We would first shoot a scene in Hindi, then we ourselves translated the dialogues to Gujarati (for Sapna Na Vavetar).”

She adds, “I have done 35 TV shows and I have been fortunate to be a part of some iconic shows like Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, which changed the history of Indian television. I also want to mention Anupamaa, which deserves applause for having a middle-aged female protagonist, a first on Indian TV. Apart from these, I think Balika Vadhu and Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah have also been iconic shows.”

Actor R Madhavan doesn’t want the morbidness of the Coronavirus era to spill into his work, or reflect in the stories he narrates on screen. And that’s why he is on a lookout for ‘Covid-19-proof’ projects. “When it comes to selecting subjects, I am trying to select Covid-19-proof subjects right now. Something that doesn’t drag me back to being morose and sad, and feeling morbid about my life,” Madhavan tells us.

He continues, “I am open to taking on anything that is happy and cheerful. Like my recent show, Decoupled, was on those lines. It was right up my alley. It spreads cheer, like one of my friends tweeted, it’s a perfect antidepressant. So, that’s the kind of stuff I am heading for.”

Meanwhile, the Rang De Basanti (2006) actor is glad that he can traverse different languages as an artiste. “I have the liberty of selecting between Tamil and Hindi scripts. So, the choices are more. But, having said that, I don’t necessarily get the kind of stories I want to tell,” says Madhavan, who started his journey as an actor with the 90s TV show, Sea Hawks, which earned him tremendous acclaim.

Talking about the kind of work he wishes to do, the Tanu Weds Manu and 3 Idiots (2009) actor shares, “I want to do the kind of films (actor) Hrithik Roshan does. I’ve huge admiration for him. He looks like a Greek God even now and does phenomenal action. But merely desiring it won’t help me. I need to be fit like him to be able to star opposite (actor) Katrina Kaif. But I am fine with it.”

He goes on to highlight his talent and says, “I like to play to my strengths. And that, for me, is the script, story and character.”

At first, Arya Iyer can be quite a handful, almost unlikeable, as he rants about the barricades on city roads or emphasises his right to walk in the buff in the men’s locker room. But trust R Madhavan to lend his innate charm to the role and bring it alive in Decoupled. “I wanted to see how I could make Arya acceptable without making him a jerk. He is one of those guys who say things as they are; he does not have any filters,” says the actor.

The Manu Joseph creation, also starring Surveen Chawla, revolves around a married couple on the verge of separation. Not wasting its time on maudlin display of emotions, the Netflix series instead studies two individuals, who have grown apart, through the lens of humour. “You realise there is nothing wrong between Arya and Shruti [Chawla’s character] — there is no infidelity or abuse. They have become two different people over a period of eight years.”

The actor, married to Sarita for 22 years, knows the secret to a rock-solid marriage. “When we were getting married, I thought I am the rockstar and she is the sweet girl [in the marriage]. Within two years, I learnt it was the opposite. She seems to have 40 hours in a day, and gives me the freedom to pursue my lazy career. I have immense admiration for women because of people like Sarita, my mother and my sister.”

While the actor has enjoyed a flourishing career in Tamil and Hindi cinema over the past 20 years, he admits to battling his share of insecurities. “Whenever I see an actor put up a [picture] of his six-pack or eight-pack abs, I am like, ‘What the hell are you doing, Maddy? How did you even survive here?’ When I see them acting with phenomenal heroines like Deepika Padukone and Anushka Sharma, I think, ‘Tu kab aisi picture karega?’ Such insecurities are there. I cover them up [by telling myself] that I have to do age-appropriate roles, and I don’t want to do anything silly. My excuses keep me sane, but some of my excuses also make me lazy,” he says, before joking, “I need to work on my six-pack one of these days.”