Saqib Saleem says stereotyping still happens: ‘You have to be patient as an actor’

“Now, to imagine different actors in different parts has become slightly easier than before. But still, stereotyping happens. If you have played a part, people start thinking of you in a particular way. As an actor, you need to be patient,” the actor added.

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When asked about his growing presence in the OTT space with projects like Kakuda, Citadel: Honey Bunny, and more, Saqib Saleem replied, “People like good stories. If we can entertain and engage them, they are ready to watch any story. Because of the format of OTT, it allows you so much more time to get into the character study and subplots of the story. When you are doing a two-hour film, you are restricted. With OTT, you can push that envelope and dive deep into the background. There is more meat to chew!”

Saqib is currently basking in the success of his ZEE5 show Crime Beat. Talking about what attracted him to the series, he said, “Sudhir Mishra was on my checklist of directors and that dream got fulfilled through this show. I had already read the book earlier. The story made me say yes to it. It was something that I haven’t done before. It was an unconventional role of a journalist indulging in a lot of action. That’s what really interested me in the part.”

Saqib Saleem also opened up about dealing with social media pressure and the importance of detachment. “There is social media pressure, one has to deal with it. I am not going to lie about it because that’s the world we live in. But, I don’t succumb to it anymore. I did before. Now, I feel like knowing less is better than knowing too much. The information overload that has happened because of social media platforms, you sometimes lose objectivity of what the truth is. For me, ignorance is bliss. I try and detach myself as much as I can from all these things.”