Amit Sial was left wondering why people struggle for 5-6 years after his first audition: ‘Merko toh itni jaldi role mil gaya..’

The actor ran to the audition venue and requested the filmmaker to let him perform whatever he had prepared. Upon reaching the venue, he apologised to Chandra and she told him, “You are late, now I will give you 10 minutes out of 25 minutes to perform, I have to be somewhere else.”

Amit Sial was stopped mid-performance by Tanuja Chandra. “She stopped me before I could finish the whole thing. And by the time I reached halfway through Malad, she called me and told me, ‘Start losing weight.’ I called up a friend of mine and asked what does this mean? He told me, ‘She is subtly telling you that you are in,’” the actor shared.

He continued, “That was the moment I thought, ‘Itna kya time lagta hai logon ko, 5-6 saal struggle karte rehte hain, merko toh itni jaldi role mil gaya (Why do people keep struggling for 5-6 years? I got a role so soon).’ But I think I got lucky as she let me perform what I had prepared. She didn’t give me lines from the film.”

Watch the teaser of Kathmandu Connection 2

Sial, who then gave a few auditions, never understood why people ask actors to perform scenes of their projects instead of letting them perform what they have prepared. He said, “I have never understood the kind of audition where you are supposed to enact a scene or lines from the project you are auditioning for. You give me a couple of scenes to perform and give me the script a couple of days before, how is it possible to fit into the character on day one? So, that’s not exactly about your talent, it’s just about luck.”

Amit Sial is now looking forward to the release of the second season of his web series, Kathmandu Connection. The show features him in the role of a police officer, Samarth Kaushik, who leads an isolated life after being left alone by his wife and daughter. But he is passionate about his job and can go to any length to nab those plotting against the country.

Those who have watched Sial’s work also know this is not the actor’s first intense character. He has earlier done various parts in thrillers where he either played an antagonist or a serious, no-nonsense character. But he has no qualms about being offered similar roles or being boxed into a certain category.

The actor said, “I keep getting these intense, antagonist kind of roles. I have gotten stereotyped but it’s also about what the audience are liking. There is a lot of economics involved in creating something, so producers also try and play it safe.” Sial also doesn’t mind starring in thrillers repeatedly as they keep the audience engaged. Which is why he believes that thriller is the most popular genre.

Amit Sial in a still from Kathmandu Connection 2. (Photo: PR Handout)

“If you look at OTT platforms anywhere around the world, thrillers are at the top of the game. That is mostly because the audience gets more involved and it’s very participative for them also because in their head, they are also trying to solve the crime with the protagonist. So, participation level is a huge factor when we are watching a thriller because we also want to be a detective ourselves. Also, violence gives you a lot of thrill, investigative dramas give you a lot of thrill. I feel as humans we are designed to solve mysteries in our heads. So, this genre in itself is very popular,” the 47-year-old actor stated.

However, if given a chance, Sial wouldn’t mind tickling the funny bone or romancing on screen. He even has two films lined up for release next year which will feature him in different roles.