As someone who likes large-scale storytelling, actor Shahid Kapoor says teaming up with “The Family Man” creators Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK for the upcoming Prime Video series “Farzi” felt like the logical next step in his career .
Shahid described the role of Sunny, an ambitious Mumbaikar trying to find a place for himself in a grim world, as a “relatable character” from the streets.
“I felt like this was the natural next step for me. I consume a lot of shows and have been enjoying them for the past five-six years, so why should I shy away from being a part of it,” the actor told PTI in an interview.
According to the actor, Raj and DK had initially approached him for a film, but he surprised them by opting for the Amazon show.
“Every platform is only as good as its content. If the content is good, the platform will perform and they (Raj and DK) have been making very good content for the past three years. That’s why we’ve teamed up. I am a fan of what they had done. They were reaching out for a movie, I was saying, (it’s) a great movie, but I want to do a show with you. And DK said, ‘are you sure you want to do a show?'” The actor said he loved watching series, so it was only natural to work with the directors, who are known for their distinct voice in film and space. streaming with projects like ‘Stree’, ‘Go Goa Gone’, ‘Shor In The City’, ’99’ and ‘The Family Man’.
“I felt like this was the next natural step for me. I consume a lot of shows and have been enjoying them for the last five-six years, so why should I shy away from being a part of it,” said Shahid.
The only difference between a streaming platform and movies is the kind of opportunities they provide.
“If we know which story needs to be told on which platform and in which format, then you should go out and tell it,” the actor said.
Known for his colorful performances in films like ‘Kaminey’, ‘Haider’, ‘Udta Punjab’, ‘Padmavaat’ and ‘Jersey’ among others, the Bollywood star said an actor’s biggest fear is ‘complacency’ and as a creative person. he fights it all the time.
“I’ve been acting for 20 years and I always feel like I have to keep challenging myself or I might get bored, repetitive or complacent. It is important to set a new goal and challenges in front of you.” His desire to explore the streaming platform space stems from his own hunger to attempt something new and challenging.
“Once the character is finished, you move on to something new. You have to do something new every time, you have different cinematographers, characters, collaborators, technical team, the conditions and scenarios are also different and the challenges are different.” Touted as a fast-paced and edgy crime thriller, “Farzi” revolves around an outsider street artist’s quest to cheat the system that favors the rich.
In the eight-episode series, Kapoor said his character of a normal youngster trying to survive and be independent will appeal to the audience.
Actors Vijay Sethupathi, Kay Kay Menon, Raashi Khanna, Amol Palekar and Bhuvan Arora complete the cast of ‘Farzi’.
Produced by D2R Films, the series will premiere on Prime Video on February 10 in India and over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
Next on the actor’s list is an Ali Abbas Zafar film and an untitled film with Kriti Sanon.
“I have a film with Ali Abbas which I have completed, it is an action film. I have another untitled film that I’m making with Maddock Films, it’s with me and Crete, and there’s a couple of things that will go on floors,” he concluded.
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