When dreams take flight: Actor Paresh Pauja, who was part of the film Kadak Singh, believes OTT has made the industry more professional

Sheetal

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Actor-musician Paresh Pauja’s latest film Kadak Singh is currently streaming on Zee5. But before making it to the digital platform, along with the team of Kadak Singh, he made an appearance at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa, for the film’s screening.

He shares how life came a full circle for him. “It was a surreal experience when I first visited IFFI a decade ago. I was a mass media student with a volunteer ID around my neck. It felt great to see myself on the other side of the crowd at IFFI. And I hope with my story and work I would be able to influence many such aspiring actors, just the way I got inspired and motivated a decade ago. I had told myself I would be on that stage one day like other actors and it was somehow manifested in a big way when I shared the stage with respected actors like Pankaj Tripathi.” he beams.

Great bonding

The film is directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury and stars Pankaj Tripathi, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Jaya Ahsan, Sanjana Sanghi, and Pahuja. Ask the actor his most cherished memories from the sets and he remembers the ‘not so kadak’ avatar of fellow actor Pankaj Tripathi, a chef whose home-cooked momos were something to die for. Pahuja recalls, “I think the cast and crew of Kadak Singh bonded over food the most. The only challenging task on the sets was too stay away from food. It was one of those sets where after finishing breakfast, you would be talking about lunch and during lunch discussing the menu for dinner! While I pitched by ordering food, Sanjana Sanghi also used to bring home-cooked meals for everybody on the sets as well.”

Preparing well

As OTT has changed the ball game altogether and all actors must show up for workshops, Pahuja is happy about this change. He feels the industry has become more professional. In fact, he never leaves an opportunity to attend any workshop. He explains, “It’s true that while you gain a lot from different workshops, sometimes it might leave you confused as two different people could say different things. But the key is to go with an open mind. It’s all about unlearning and learning and, sometimes, you also have to stick to your guns.”

For 2024, Pahuja has plans to focus on music and also learn martial arts. The Lakadbaggha actor will also be seen in the film Lord Curzon Ki Haveli and Operation Valentine soon.