Shaheer Sheik: “I want to stay loyal to TV and bring something new and fresh with each project”
From TV serials, web shows, and music videos, Shaheer Sheik, who has been dabbling in various mediums of late, uncovers that for him the vision of the director is the most important factor in deciding a project.
Inquire as to whether competition from OTT has changed TV anyway and he exclaims, “I think audiences now have options and they get to choose what they want to see. That is a plus. But often, people don’t watch reruns of most web shows. Television has its own audience.” Calling TV his “first love”, Sheikh credits the tube as “it has made me what I am”.
“I want to stay loyal to TV and bring something new and fresh with each project. Winning the viewers’ heart is big achievement for me. Moreover, TV’s reach is undeniable. Doing a TV show and entertaining people everyday is not easy.”
He admits, he wasn’t looking at TV this year as his focus was “on short films and music videos”, however when he was approached for the TV show, Woh Toh Hai Albela, he couldn’t decline. Having encountered the digital platform, Sheikh acknowledges its benefits.
He says, “In daily soaps, time is luxury as you shoot many scenes in a day. While you get the time to prepare for a web show. You shoot 2 or 3 scenes in one day and you can work on your performance.”
He adds, “I like to live the character I essay. Even if I am shooting for a music video and I take the effort to get it right. Like recently, I shot for a music video where I play a visually impaired guy. Though it was a two-day shoot, I worked on the character and it turned out well.”
