I was rejected for a film for being a TV actor: Shiv Panditt

Shiv Panditt aka

Faiz Abu Malik

of the

Vidyut Jammwal starrer Khuda Haafiz

is happy with the film’s success. “I’m glad the audience has liked it. We put in a lot of effort in the film. I’ve been getting a lot of appreciation for my role which is what, at the end of the day an actor wants,” says the actor who was also seen in the popular TV show FIR as chief inspector Hanuman Prasad Pandey.

Shiv Panditt is married to Lucknowite and Bollywood costume designer

Ameira

Punvani (BCCL)

The Nagpur-born actor, married to

Lucknowite Ameira Punvani

, a Bollywood costume designer, spent the lockdown in Delhi with his family. “This is the first time I have spent so many months with my parents and Ameira,” says Shiv, adding, “Ameira and I came to Delhi for my mom’s birthday in March. And since then we’d been there and it was great just being at home. Till now both Ameira and I would be working and never could spent much time together, maybe just a week or so. But this time, we got time to spend time together since we got married two years ago.”
Having been in the industry since a very long time, we wonder what has made Shiv not make as much of an appearance on screen. To which he says, “I’ve observed that many talented actors put in a lot of hard work into a project for a year and a half and on that one Friday, when the film releases, it doesn’t do so well due to whatever reasons. So I decided that if I do a film, even if it takes time, it should be impactful. With Khuda Haafiz I received the kind of love that I did after the release of Shaitaan. Here on, I wish the wheels just keep moving forward.”

Shiv Panditt played Faiz Abu Malik, the bad cop in the film Khuda Haafiz (BCCL)

But things haven’t been easy for the actor. Referring to an incident where he got rejected for a film due to being a television actor, Shiv says, “Back in the year 2006-07 when social media was not a thing and I was shooting for the television show FIR, I got a film role with a very big production house. But when the director found out that I do television, he was like ‘you’re too over exposed and you do television so we can’t take you for the project’.That was terrible and because of that I purposely left FIR at its peak to change that perception of me just being a television actor. Then I dabbled between hosting IPL and stuff as I didn’t want to sell myself short,” says the actor who believes he’s meant for bigger and better things. “I always believed that god will give me that opportunity and rightly so as Shaitaan happened in 2011. There has been no looking back for me since. Last year has been one of my busiest years because I have done five-six projects.”
The actor though says that the OTT platform has been a boon for lesser known actors. “Since the web started we have seen so many wonderfully talented actors. Ones who weren’t so visible earlier but now there are posters of them on billboards. Initially they were only categorized as supporting actors or character actors, now they’re playing leads in shows. So the perception is changing now, especially within the industry. OTT has made stars of ‘small’ actors.”
While Shiv has mostly been seen by the audience doing negative or edgy roles, the actor has a lot in store for his fans. He confesses, “Since people are so used to seeing me do edgy roles, I want to do some comedy so they know that there’s more to me than just playing edgy on screen.”
Speaking about his co-actor and close friend, Vidyut Jammwal from Khuda Haafiz, Shiv says, “Vidyut and I are great friends. We think alike and are both very positive people. Even if we are told ‘no’ hundred times, we know we have what it takes to get there. We are both extremely confident of ourselves and that’s what makes us click.”