I am perceived as a bigger Indian actor in the US: Prashantt Guptha

Actor Prashantt Guptha, best known for featuring in web shows like Special Ops and the Aashram franchise, is currently in the US, exploring more work opportunities. Having done an international film, A New Christmas (2019), the actor says it “has generated the interest of several filmmakers in New York and Los Angeles to work with me”. And now that the pandemic-induced restrictions have eased out, he has finally travelled to the US to take the discussions forward.

Ask about the major difference between working in India and abroad, and the Neerja (2016) actor says, “I feel creatively more liberated in the US. Somehow, I am perceived as a bigger Indian actor in the US, compared to when I’m in Mumbai. Nepotism and comparisons don’t seem to bother me when I am here (USA), nor do I feel I am a part of a rat race in a claustrophobic environment. But technically, acting is acting, and both India and USA have a similar work ethic.”

Guptha shuttles between India and the US for work and he enjoys the process. In fact, since so many Indian actors are making a mark abroad, he feels proud to be part of the same group. “Indians or South Asians as we are commonly referred to as in the US are rising in popularity and demand by the day,” says the 40-year-old, who aspires “to explore European cinema, get substantial acting opportunities in the US and become an author”.