Actress Chahatt Khanna has backed actor Rohit Roy’s recent remarks on television, saying that while she has not watched his entire interview, she agrees with his assessment when it comes to the quality, concepts and creativity currently offered by the medium.
Speaking exclusively to IANS, Chahatt said she would not comment on Roy’s statement without watching the complete interview. However, she agreed that television currently falls behind films and OTT platforms in certain aspects of storytelling and creative detailing.
“I don’t know about that statement because I haven’t seen the entire interview. But, yes, the quality of work. See, I am from TV and I respect TV medium the most. Because TV makes us actors very strong,” she said.
Chahatt pointed out that television actors routinely work for 12 to 15 hours, something she said is different from the working pattern in films. At the same time, she noted that films and OTT offer a different level of creativity and detailing.
“But when you talk about concept and when you talk about creativity, I think it has been said from that aspect. So, definitely, if you look at the story and creativity, TV is standing nowhere, right?” she said.
The actress, however, acknowledged television’s enormous reach and said its content is shaped largely by the preferences of its mass audience.
“But definitely, it targets the masses. So, the audience wants what the TV is targeting. And that’s why they are showing that. It’s absolutely business, I believe,” she added.
‘If you are a creative actor, then definitely you won’t be able to relate to TV’
Chahatt, who has appeared in several popular television shows, also explained why she has struggled to connect with some of the concepts offered to her.
“Yes, if you are a creative actor, then definitely you won’t be able to relate to TV, which even I don’t do. Like, I can’t relate to TV shows, the offers I get like Naagin etc, I can’t relate to them,” she said.
She nevertheless acknowledged that being able to connect with such projects could have opened up better professional opportunities for her.
“But I think if I could relate to them, then it would have been a better opportunity for me. But what I can relate to, I can relate to. So, I think it’s each to its own,” Chahatt added.
Roy’s comments came during an interview in which he was asked about the perceived hierarchy between television and films and whether television had become more professional while losing its class in terms of craft.
The actor, who rose to prominence through television shows such as Swabhimaan and Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand, described television as a “dustbin medium”, arguing that much of its content is quickly forgotten and that the industry produces repetitive material with limited creativity.
Roy also commented on the way television and film actors conduct themselves in public, saying that film stars generally carry themselves with greater style, class, grace and dignity while making broader observations about the behaviour and appearance of some television actors.
Chahatt, known for shows including Bade Achhe Lagte Hain, has herself spent a significant part of her career in television.
