Actor, who has starred in 3000 TV episodes and worked with Amitabh Bachchan, still has to audition for ad-films: ‘I think I am capable enough to say one dialogue’

Actor Paresh Ganatra calls out ad-film directors for asking him to audition for 5 second parts, even after being such a prolific actor.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | October 21, 2025 04:04 PM IST

3 min read

Paresh Ganatra in a still from Welcome.

In the machine that is Bollywood, character actors are an important cog. They are the ones that make it possible for a film to feel complete and well thought out. Actor Paresh Ganatra is one of the most recognisable character actors in Indian television and movies, having worked with actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Nana Patekar, and Akshay Kumar in movies like Welcome, Aankhen, Delhi Belly, Khichdi The Movies, and many others. In a recent interview, the actor expressed his dissatisfaction with the process of auditioning as a whole. He argued that some creators don’t do the right homework, while some don’t understand the legacy of the actor.

While talking to Pinkvilla, Paresh was asked about the state of film and television auditions. He answered that while he has no problem with the idea of auditioning, he doesn’t agree with the way they are being done by this generation’s filmmakers.

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He said, “I don’t have a problem with auditions, because I feel like they are an exercise for me. I have a problem with kids taking my audition for a role for which they have considered someone like Boman Irani, Arshad Warsi, or Manoj Bajpayee. They think that I am going to fit in that role.”

Explaining himself further, he said, “It is possible that someone sees my audition and thinks that ‘this is better than my script’, even if my interpretation doesn’t match their brief. A director can feel that.”

Paresh continued, “I am against people who haven’t watched my previous work. For example, there was an audition which I couldn’t go to because of prior commitments. They told me to send a self-test, and I don’t believe in that, because it’s better when these things are done face-to-face. I couldn’t go, but then I later got to know that Boman was also up for the role, and I thought, ‘Why me?’ People have to understand that different people fit in different roles.”

However, Paresh Ganatra admitted that his main point of contention is with auditioning for ad films, as he believes that he has worked enough to be entrusted with a role that is hardly going to last 5 seconds. “Even though I have no problem auditioning, I am against auditioning for an ad film. You’re making a 30-second ad with someone like Virat Kohli or Mahendra Singh Dhoni or Amitabh Bachchan. I am a character artiste, and all I have to do is say one line. Do you really think that I won’t be able to say that single dialogue? If you doubt my capability to do something so small and simple, then I have a problem auditioning,” said Paresh.

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