The Great Indian Family actor Sadiya Siddiqui: There’s very little work for females on OTT
Actor Sadiya Siddiqui says that she is open to work on OTT and is looking forward to it but wonders what’s stopping makers from casting her.
Actor Sadiya Siddiqui says that she is open to work on OTT and is looking forward to it but wonders what’s stopping makers from casting her.
The Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1994) actor, on a visit to Lucknow, says, “Surely OTT is a very good platform, but I fail to understand the reason I am not on it. Had I known, I would have worked on it! I feel agar har tarah ki kahani bane to har tarah ke actors ko kaam mil jayega. I don’t know why it works for some people and not for others. It’s very unpredictable!”
Siddiqui adds, “At times, I see some very good actors – much-much better than me – doing very small parts and I wonder. But then the world is not fair, and the industry is not fair at times! If you are not mediocre, then the struggle is longer.”
Actors say that on TV, female artistes rule, but OTT shows are dominated by male actors. “There is very little work for females on OTT, and if there is, then they try to cast a popular face from the film industry or a fresher. We have male-oriented stories so it’s tough for females to bag a good role with a good production and good director. It used to make me angry and depressed.”
To beat that she has options. “The best way is to sharpen your skills by reading, acting, doing theatre, watching good cinema and engaging in good conversation. Of late, I have started writing which includes poems, plays and short stories. So, I am sharpening my skills but I’m an actor and would like to act more.”
Last seen in The Great Indian Family (2023), Siddiqui says that she is happy doing TV as well and is in talks for a show. “You must look for the right combination, as on TV, you don’t often get strong roles that will excite and challenge you. Besides, your role, the people you are working with, and makers, all have to fall in place. And for that, I have to wait... it’s a tough thing to do when you are in a freelancing field,” says the actor who will be next seen in the feature film Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa directed by Rajat Kapoor.