Stepping back is necessary if you want to be seen differently: Gautam Rode

In an industry built on constant visibility, taking a step back can feel like a gamble. Gautam Rode, however, has embraced that risk — moving away from television at the peak of his career to explore opportunities across films and OTT.

His decision, he says, was both strategic and necessary. “If you want to take up interesting roles, meaty parts in other mediums, then you have to step back. If you are constantly seen on one platform, then you won’t be considered for principal roles on other platforms. Also, other platforms take time to ease up to you because you have a large body of work coming from television. So they have to forget you in that space, and then when you meet them, they see you in a different light, and that’s good.”



Gautam sees risk not as a disruption, but as an essential part of growth. “Even in a normal job, you can get laid off. If you want to grow, you have to take that chance. Otherwise, you’ll keep doing the same thing. So shifting platforms is a risk I took, but I am glad I did,” says the actor, who has been part of OTT shows like Mamla legal hai, Undekhi- The Final Battle, State of Siege: 26/11 and Nakaab. Same craft, different process.

Having worked across mediums, Gautam dismisses the idea that acting styles fundamentally differ. “There is this myth that TV acting, OTT acting and film acting are different. Nothing is different. For me, it’s just about giving my hundred per cent,” he shares.

The real distinction, he explains, lies in the process. “With OTT and films, you get time to prepare; you get the script one or one-and-a-half months prior. You sit on it, you make your notes, the lines are in your head. In television, you get the script on the set. That’s the difference,” he says.