Music, mafia & mayhem

Punjabi singer-actor Parmish Verma is on a journey that resonates with passion, hard work and growth. Today, he’s carving a new path as an actor, producer, director and someone who is deeply committed to expanding his horizons. All set to debut on OTT with Kanneda, Parmish can’t contain his excitement about the project. Releasing on March 11 on Jio Hotstar, this one is particularly special for him, and he explains why, “This new chapter in my career also symbolises a fresh start. I’ve broken my own boundaries and done things differently. It had been three-four years since my last project and when I started shooting Kanneda, I told myself I will change my work ethics.”

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Let’s experiment

Parmish not only changed all the intangible aspects, but also played with his looks. Possessive of his beard, when director Chandan Arora asked him to shave it off, it wasn’t just a first but was met with much resistance. “It took some convincing because, until then, I had never sported a clean-shaven look. When the team explained that the idea was to construct a character through acting, not appearance, I agreed.” This change in appearance also brought a shift in his performance. Parmish asserts, “It was a huge step that reflected in my performance as well. My laughter, anger and overall presentation—when you watch the trailer, you’ll notice the difference.”

Hindi debut

To debut in a Hindi web series meant leaving behind the antics of a Punjabi star. “We are used to a certain style of filming. While shooting a Punjabi film, I would tell the cinematographer to focus on a particular angle or profile, telling them when not to take a close up, etc. These things are not considered in Bollywood. I didn’t even watch my performance before it went to the editing table.”

If in the past, his presence on screen has often been accompanied by high-octane action, this time he has incorporated deep emotions and new flavour of music too. A criminal, an innocent, Parmish plays a desi who is ‘writing his own destiny’ in a faraway land. The eight-episode series packs mafia, music and mayhem. The five songs in it, Parmish says, “Are a musical summary of the show.”

From big screen to OTT

From his digital debut as an actor, he made his debut as a producer with Tabaah, which recently landed on OTT too. Tabaah holds a special place for Parmish. While the film had a theatrical release, Parmish knew all along that the audience would appreciate it more in digital space. The decision to release it first in theatres was to also see how it fares at the box-office. Yet, Parmish’s confidence in its OTT potential never wavered. “Two years ago, when I first heard the story, I knew people would appreciate it more on an OTT platform,” he adds.

Though the film’s box-office performance was modest, Parmish is far from disappointed. “For the same amount of money, I could have made a romantic comedy,” he reflects. “But I wanted to expand my range and reach new audiences.” It’s clear that for Parmish, the risk was worth it. Breaking out of the mould of action hero and taking on more nuanced, emotional roles has always been his goal. “As an actor, I wanted to prove that I could do more than just action or romance,” he admits. And with Tabaah, he did just that.

future projects

Parmish is excited about his next project, a fresh, action-packed venture that he’s been working on. “The script is ready and we’ve finalised almost everything,” he shares. His next film marks a departure from the past, focusing on raw, intense action sequences—a genre he hasn’t fully explored since Rocky Mental. This time, Parmish is eager to put his full attention on acting, leaving behind the pressures of producing and directing, which often divides one’s focus. “After Tabaah, I realised that juggling acting, directing and producing is a load that can take a toll,” he explains. “For my next project, I’m going to totally focus on my performance.”