Maninee De: Many feel that actors on TV can’t be cast on other mediums

With TV soaps being aired on a daily basis, often there’s a notion in the industry that actors on TV are overexposed, shares Maninee De. The actor believes this perception often leaves them to miss out on other mediums.

“There is still a mindset that actors who do TV only belong to television. While casting for films or OTT, a lot of people have very strong opinions about the fact that actors on TV are over exposed and mustn’t be cast,” she tells us. Having said that, De also feels grateful that she did not have to face this prejudice.

“I have constantly been a part of all the mediums and feel blessed,” says the actor, who has featured in films like Fashion (2008) and Student of The Year (2021) and web shows such as Abhay and Coldd Lassi Aur Chicken Masala.

De, who is currently shooting in Uttarakhand for her film Bediyan, is of the belief that OTT is one place where everyone can have an equal chance of being cast: “I am happy that actors of all mediums get to converge with other actors and perform various roles that television does not offer (on OTT). Even many Bollywood actors are doing projects on OTT. The space has opened up for sure.”

Meanwhile, the advent of OTT has also spelt a push for TV content to become better. “People are experimenting but TV has its own restrictions in terms of what the television audience wants. The audience has evolved a lot but I feel the makers don’t want to take the pain of looking at a particular story with a fresh pair of eyes as they fear what if doesn’t work. They calculate the risks. It’s not just a creative business but a money-making game too. I would be very happy to see the amalgamation of both and like TV to become more relatable, less artificial and more organic,” she ends.