Not many know that before making his debut as a leading man in Ram Gopal Varma's 1999 film Mast, Aftab Shivdasani had featured as a child artist in popular movies like Mr. India and ChaalBaaz. Interestingly, both these films are gearing up for their new versions. In a recent conversation with Pinkvilla, the actor opened up on this development. “I don’t know much about what’s being done with these two films, so it’s difficult to comment. But they are both masterpieces, and I am sure the makers would keep that in mind that it’s difficult to replicate greatness, but I am sure they can create a version of that greatness,” states Aftab.
When asked if these classics should be made or not, Aftab responds, “Honestly, I don’t know. It all depends on who is making them. So I think those people would have a certain amount of conviction if they wanted to touch a classic.” Meanwhile, the actor will next be seen in Special Ops 1.5, which is created by Neeraj Pandey. Speaking about the surge in the OTT space, Aftab says he would do a mix of both - films and web shows.
“I am sure they both can co-exist. Fortunately or unfortunately because of the pandemic everybody has got used to sitting in their homes and watching things at their fingertips, and that whole pattern is here to stay. But I also maintain that going to a cinema is an experience you can’t have at home. So both will have their own charms, and I think they both can co-exist,” he says.
Aftab further adds, “OTT is a level playing field for all actors. There is no bigger star or smaller star, it's the content. So one has to focus on the content, and that’s actually a good thing because a lot of people had started to ignore the content and just depended on the star system to make projects. But now it's time for everyone to really focus on the content, and I think that’s great for actors, technicians and writers, where people can express themselves far more freely and without the fear of getting a release, or distribution, or screen time.”