After having marked a milestone with his impeccable acting skills, actor Karanvir Bohra recently worked as a director for his own web-series Bhanwar. International Business Times, India got in touch with the actor to talk about the series, lockdown and much more.
Now that you have directed your first project, what would you say is tougher; directing or acting?
I wouldn't put it this way, 'what is tough - directing or acting?' because both are different. If you put your head to something if you love it and if you are passionate about it nothing becomes tough everything is easy then. Yes, there is a lot of work required when you are directing because while you are acting you are involved in one character, but when you are directing you have to be involved in every aspect of the film, whether its the actors, the costumes, the camera, production - everything has to be taken care of.
What were the challenges you faced or realised are there during direction?
Directing this web-series was a different kind of challenge. It was completely an Atmanirbhar production, I didn't have a team, we shot it in lockdown, so the biggest challenge was to do it with just a team of 6 people.
Are you the kind of director who is open to improvisations or you would rather have them stick to your vision?
A vision is what everybody needs. A director needs the vision to see where the show is going and how it's going to be. As a director, I am very open to suggestions and they are welcomed. If it enhances my vision or enhances the way I am looking at it, I will grab it with both my hands.
How important is it for actors in today's times to not lose their mental well-being? Why is the showbiz industry turning into a hotbed of people losing mental sanity?
I think the main issue boils down to two things, money and too much fame. In each sense, actors have to be sensible with the way they plan to invest the money they get so that it helps on rainy days. It's also important to maintain a decent lifestyle and not go overboard or to extremes, even mentally, it helps in keeping a sane mind especially in this industry.
Now that you have directed your first series, are you looking forward to more of direction or acting?
Once an actor, always an actor! There is new blood that I have tasted with directing, I think it's a lot of fun, let's see what the future holds but growth is something I always believe in. Challenging myself with something new keeps me going.
Do you feel TV actors get the love and adulation they deserve when they come on the big screen or make their debut movies?
The big-screen is very ruthless be it for TV actors, actors kids and/or star kids. Everybody is out there either to be criticized or to be loved by the audience. While actors get their fan base on their merit, star kids get them on the merit of their parents, eventually, it all boils down to your work and how you showcase yourself. If a TV actor acts the same way they acted on TV shows, they are written off and the star kids have a benchmark of their parents which they are always compared to if they fail to carve their niche they will be written off too. Love is what both the sides get, it all boils down to how you want to present yourself in a film or a show. You need to adapt, change, keep reinventing yourself, try something new, that's when the audience notices your versatility and loves you.
Has there been anything that the lockdown period has taught you?
The lockdown has taught me to be a patient dad. We've been with our children for so many months and they test your patience. Rather than getting or becoming irritated, I have become more patient. All the kids want is what they want, so you have to adjust to them, there is no point screaming and shouting because eventually, they will do what they want to do. I want my kids to grow with love, so I shower them with love instead of showing them my anger or screaming and shouting at them. Kids are great imitators, so you have to be careful about how you behave around them.
