Exclusive! Ayush Mehra: Black Mirror was my reference point for Recommended For You

Amazon MiniTV has launched a new short film, Recommended For You. Starring actor Ayush Mehra in the lead role, this movie sees him take on a completely new character on the web. This actor took a reference out of Black Mirror for the project.

Ayush also spoke about his journey from assisting on Uri: The Surgical Strike to playing the lead in web shows and short films. The actor also shared about how he achieved something like TedX at an early stage of his career, among many other things.

Excerpts from the interview…

From being an assistant director on Uri, which released in 2019 to now playing the lead role in web series and short films, tell me about your journey. I'm sure it would be interesting and it definitely looks like OTT has helped you a lot in achieving your goal.

It's been a very interesting journey and it's just been about flowing. I was an assistant director for three films. Before Uri, I had started acting in ads. A very dear friend of mine was directing Uri and he asked me why don't I assist him and so, I agreed. Post that, a lot of boom in the digital era happened. I happened to be a part of a lot of YouTube videos. I started being known for them and then started doing web shows on YouTube and post that, I got popular with the web show. Then, OTT came in the picture and I got Call My Agent. It's just been really good and I'm really grateful and happy that things turned out the way it has. There are a bunch of things which are lined up right now. I'm really excited for the line up. I want people to watch them and say that I'm doing a lot of versatile things. I'm really excited for that and grateful that OTT has provided young actors like me the opportunity. Hard work and persistence can get you things. You don't have to be associated with a certain kind of cinema. You can choose your own kind, work hard and achieve things.

You have been a part of numerous popular YT channel shows. Did that help you bag your first acting project? What has your journey been like since then?

I was acting since 2019 in web shows. I did YouTube shows but I was waiting for the right opportunity on OTT. I had various offers post that but it wasn't something that was great. So, we waited for it and then, obviously, I did Please Find Attached and Operation MBBS. Then, I got Call My Agent which was my big OTT debut. Doing the right project was important so I didn't take up anything just for the sake of it, right? For me, as a person, a story has to really work for me. If that doesn't work, I wouldn't do a project for other reasons. That's why it takes a lot of time, energy, decision-making and eventually, you end up doing what your heart is at.

Is Recommended For You inspired by the Telugu film Ye Mantram Vesave?

I have no idea. I have not seen the film. I had no reference point to this film. My only reference point for it was a Black Mirror-ish episode. It is that zone and a character who clicks on a wrong link and gets sucked by it till he becomes a victim of that link. It is a story based on that and it was scary to play it because it can happen to anyone.

How did this project happen?

I was shooting for PFA season 3 and I got a call from Raghav from Drishyam Films. When they told me it's a short film, I was hesitant because I wasn't looking forward to doing short films. Then I met him and when he told me what he wants to do with the film and I already had Drishyam associated with the project so I was excited for that fact itself. I thought we're in safe hands. I thought it's something new, interesting and what I haven't done before. I thought it would be really challenging and nice. I got an eight-day gap while shooting for PFA. So, I completed this and went back to PFA. It was nice.

Why were you hesitant about taking a short film? It is a shorter tenure and you get recognized for sure. So, what stopped you there?

I wasn't getting the right kind of short films. I wanted to do something different and was getting things in my realm and wanted to do something outside it.

Also, with short films, the medium is very short, concise and not explained. It's not a journey with a character but a part of his life. It's the situation or circumstance and not something that spans over months. That's where it's not detailed as a short film. This one was something that could do justice to it because of the premise. Thus, I picked this. The ones offered to me didn't appeal to me as a human as much as this did.

Are you open to doing more short films though?

If they're as interesting as Recommended For You, then for sure. They're something that opened up my radar of wow. If it's really interesting and can show my versatility and range as an actor, I would do it 120%.

Minus One season 2 has gone on floors. How are things so far?

Oh we just wrapped it. I had a night shoot last night. We shot for 30 days. The video released late which is why people feel that it just went on floors but we finished filming for it and I'm so glad because it's a project I'm really looking forward to. It has taken a lot of effort and hardwork. I hope it's nice and guys love it. PFA 3 will release before that though.

You have also been at TedX already by this point of time. Is that reassuring, that people know you and want to hear your stories?

I hope there are always people who want to know your story because that's what you work hard for. I want to be loved by people and make me their role model in life like I have role models. I know mistakes are going to happen. I know things aren't always going to be on the brighter side. However, wherever you are in your phase of life, you just have to be grateful, thankful, keep working and be honest about your feelings to yourself and people so it's not something which you're putting an act on. I did TedX because I haven't achieved what I wanted to till now. Wherever I am, I'm really grateful. Whoever watches that and gets inspired that a person who is trying to make it from nothing and has done something, then they can also try doing something like that. The quest of being where you are from where you were is never-ending. You gotta take a moment and enjoy being where you are and be thankful and grateful about having what you have. I'm a total believer of that.

Your upcoming projects?

There's a secret project but I will talk about it soon. The news will come out soon though. It's a big project for me. I'm very excited for people to find out about it. Everybody is going to be genuinely happy with this news because everyone is asking me when will that release.