It’s much like Hollywood, says Samir Kochchar

Samir Kochchar’s recent stint with Sacred Games has put him in the spotlight. Samir started his digital career with The   Test Case and moved on to Karrle Tu Bhi Mohabbat 2 and Dhan Dhana Dhan.

While Sacred Games is grabbing a lot of eyeballs in India as well as gaining popularity outside the country, Samir can’t help but feel the joy. “Generally audiences outside the country don’t care much about Indian content, unless it is something very unusual. It is great to know that this show is being watched outside our country and I have been fortunate enough to be a part of it. I am hoping there is lot more to do in season 2 as well.”

Having worked for TV, films and now web-series, Samir Kochchar says, “It is great to work in different mediums and to have a choice from all these three platforms. They all come with their own set of challenges and we have to play our role in them. When it comes to TV, it keeps going on. A film has a fixed time frame as does a web-series. But no matter what medium you are working with, it’s the content that matters. Of course web is giving much space to hard-hitting content.”

Working with Vikramaditya Motwane was a great experience for Samir, “He is fantastic. I can’t tell you the amount of grace the director has. Working with so many actors with a timeline on his head and massive footage that needed to be sorted, there was a lot of stress on him. But he is always at ease, he is open-minded. He would always check with the actors how they want to perform a particular scene. So it was nice working with him.”

Talking about the cast of the film, Samir says, “It was nice working with such a friendly cast. I shared a great rapport with Rahika Apte. There was one scene which was semi-flirticious and we had a huge laugh while doing it. That was a good day.”

Things were very professional during the shoot of Sacred Games. “People were always busy. There was a strict schedule and a huge army of people assisting and helping the director. Everything was streamlined. It was amazing to see this well-oiled machinery. I think everyone came together wonderfully to create this greatness. It did seem like chaos but it wasn’t chaos. People were highly involved.”

Samir believes that it is not only due to Netflix that things were so streamlined. “I think it’s the whole process that is changing. Things have become way more professional. If you see the writers, a lot more original content is being written. The timelines are being met. Shoots are happening on schedule because you know the next date and the location will be available months later. Also when it comes to casting, no matter who you are, you have to fit the bar. You have to meet the casting director, and do it the professional way. On the whole things have become better. Gone are the days when you had to carry those portfolios. Now I see screentests happening. Contracts are much better. It is very much like Hollywood.”

Samir is next working in a couple films in Tollywood and is also a part of No Entry 2. “I am working with Prabhu Deva. I am also working on a film titled Humein Tumse Pyaar Kitna. We shot it last year but it took a bit of time. It is a love story set in the mountains. Meanwhile, it is amazing to be an actor in these times. There is such wonderful work happening.”