'I would love to portray an intense negative character': Jason Tham

AN ACTION-PACKED career has seen Jason Tham balance reality TV with acting in films and top TV serials.

The Indian actor of Chinese origin has shown off his range in diverse projects and carried that on with recently released JioCinema serial Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond. He stars alongside acclaimed actors like Jimmy Sheirgill and Lara Dutta in the Hindi language cross-border war drama based on real events about the Pulwama attack, and its aftermath.

Eastern Eye caught up with him to find out more about his journey.

How do you reflect on your journey so far? 

I think God spoke to me one day and told me you will achieve things not by luck, but by hard work. My journey as an actor has been like a bumpy rollercoaster ride, but one thing common in all my projects has been my passion and hard work, which is why I am where I have reached today.

Which project has been closest to your heart?

Closest to my heart was a show I did in 2015 called Agent Raghav. Why was it close to my heart? Well, that’s where I met my wife. She was playing the antagonist, and we were the protagonists of that show. That’s also the show where the whole cast became my friends.

 Tell us about your new web series?  

My newest web series is Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond, which is streaming on JioCinema. It is based on the Phulwama attack and Operation Balakot.

 Tell us a little bit about your character?  

I play Victor Maisnam, a special agent under the military intelligence unit headed by Kashyap (Jimmy Sheirgill). Victor was an integral part in the success of the operation.

How does a web series compare to films?  

Web series are usually vaster in storytelling. You get to the depth of each character and backstory, whereas in films you only have limited hours to show the whole narrative.

 Did you learn anything new while working on this web series? 

We all know about the Pulwama attack and the Balakot air-strike, but no one knows what went behind the operation. I have been fortunate to be part of untapped information about the operation and feel immense pride of being part of an event that will go down in history. This series has been very informative to us all working on it and for audiences.

 Who do you think will connect with your latest series?  

This series will connect with everyone, as the infamous Pulwama attack on 2019 and how we retaliated back, is still etched to our minds.

 Looking ahead, do you have a dream role? 

I would love to portray an intense negative, disturbed character.

What do you enjoy watching?  

A show that I binge watched regularly is hit comedy Friends.

  What inspires you as an actor?  

The whole process to become an actor. The knowledge around us, observation, speech, reading, singing, dancing, action and everything else that is associated with it is inspiring. Every day there is something new to learn and add to my arsenal.

 Tell us something not many people know about you? 

A lot of the inspiration for my characters comes from video games.

Why should we all tune into this new series? 

The gripping drama shows how we courageously retaliated to the threat against terrorism.