Exclusive! Arjun Mathur: Life is a little more than only your work

There are a few actors who are loved on OTT and a few who get internationally acclaimed. Arjun Mathur falls in both the categories. The actor, currently seen in The Gone Game 2, gets candid with OTTplay about why he picks one project a year and takes breaks even between them. He explains why that is a process he is comfortable with and why actors should adapt that. The actor also talks about coming back to the show and where he is headed in life.

Excerpts from the interview…

Now that The Gone Game 2 is back, what are your expectations from the show?

Not much. I try to not keep expectations high usually. We had zero expectations from season 1 too. It was just something we shot at home. That was like a DIY project. I had no expectations from that and it surpassed all our expectations. So, it's best to go with the same attitude.

How much of Sahil can we expect to see in season 2?

You can expect things to go according to the plan or not. It's interesting. As compared to how control of the situation he was in season 1, in this season he's not at all in control of the situation.

The Gone Game was the first web series to be shot during COVID-19. What would you say makes season 2 special?

Season 1 was a really unique experiment. This season, we've gone back to shooting with our regular crew in live locations and sets. In that sense, this season is a little more regular. Definitely, you can expect each character's journey to move forward. The show has expanded from what it was in season 1. We have additions to the cast. For us, it was the fact that after shooting season 1 like that, we got an opportunity to shoot this way, that was new for us.

Back in season 1, you guys could not get out of quarantine but this time, the restrictions have eased down. So, did you have a proper shooting-on-the-sets experience this time around? What was that like?

My character is on his own journey. He doesn't meet any other character or cast. Aside from that, the fact that we were able to shoot this in the way it was written, rather than having to write according to our limitations. Season 1 was written according to limitations. That limitation wasn't there this time. The writers have been able to move the story forward in a much more expansive manner.

You know, you have become recognized not only in India but even outside of it. Your projects speak a lot about you and seeing your graph, you take up one and maximum two projects a year. Is this your conscious decision, because you really want to invest in the project and enjoy it before moving on to the next one or are you in a tough phase since COVID happened and so, even though you want more projects, you're able to work on only one or max two a year?

Trying to work on more than one project at a time is a little disservice to either projects. Every project needs you to be in the mind space, physical state and look. If you do justice to one of them, then you wouldn't be able to do justice to another, if you are doing two at the same time. I generally, definitely prefer to focus on one project at one time. After COVID-19 though, there were multiple projects and their dates got thrown around because of lockdowns. I got a little bit of taste of multiple projects happening simultaneously and it's not good, honestly speaking. It's really confusing, you're all over the place, cannot focus on one thing. That's how I feel. There are actors who do three projects together.

I like to take out time between these projects too. Life is a little more than only your work. There are other things also that need your attention. I like to take time out whenever I can. I try to work on things that really have my heart rather than taking up projects just because of the money. Your heart has to really be in what you do or else you wouldn't do it well. I just want to do what I do well and to do that, I want to choose projects which really excite me. Sometimes, things happen one-at-a-time and sometimes, two things that excite me happen. That is when it becomes a difficult choice.

Does OTT provide artists more opportunities than films, in general?

Yes, not just me. For writers, creators and everybody. There are different kind of stories to be told and streaming platforms give people an opportunity to tell those stories. Because OTT isn't ruled by Box Office numbers, they give directors and producers an opportunity to hire better actors and technicians.

What is the update on Made In Heaven 2?

I finished shooting. It will release in the first quarter of next year.

What other projects do you have at hand?

I have Anshuman Jha-directed Lord Curzon Ki Haveli. We finished shooting. It is in its post-production. Let's see what happens with it.