Whether as Rasool Sheikh in Asur or now, as ACP Ketan Kamat in Kaala Paani, actor Amey Wagh seems to be the obvious choice for filmmakers and creators to play a character, who is flawed and who may or may not have redeemable attributes. The Free Press Journal team dives deeper into what makes the actor explore his multifaceted acting credentials.
When prodded about what makes him an obvious choice to be cast as a grey-shaded character in a film or a series, Amey quips, “It's funny, I think I'm going through an identity crisis. Because in Marathi, I'm always playing the positive guy. I am the one who is principled and the good guy most of the time and here in the Hindi OTT scene, I am the flawed guy or the negative guy mostly.”
He adds, “I think it's actually very exciting for me that I get to live in these two worlds. I try to explore all the sides of my personality. I just hope that people look at me through different perspectives.”
What excited him about playing a cop in the latest OTT show Kaala Paani? “No one actually offered me the role of a cop earlier because most filmmakers would feel that I don't look like a cop. Ashu Sir (Ashutosh Gowariker) was shocked on the first day of shooting, when he saw me as a police officer. He asked me if I was really playing a cop in the series. I’m glad I said yes to being Ketan.”
His last role in the OTT film Govinda Naam Mera saw him play the hero’s friend. Does the fear of getting typecast haunt him? “See, throughout my life, I've always been the hero's friend. There were heroes around me and I got to learn a lot from them. So I don't mind being the hero's friend. Like here, I think the real heroes are the makers and I'm their friend here also. So it's a good thing actually, there is no problem in being like that.”
Kaala Paani is being applauded for its fine ensemble cast. What does Amey opine over being a part of it? “The entire cast is a very unusual cast. I used to have an insider joke with Sukant (Goel) and Vikas (Kumar). I remember we were having dinner and I said that we aren't here because of our looks but because we look good enough to be cast for our parts.”
As we conclude our chat, the actor shares his trick to survive. “I've always realized that no matter what, your dear ones will actually help you through any situation. They will rescue you through the tough times,” he signs off.
