Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Param Singh: I want to explore characters from different demographics and religions

Param Singh: I want to explore characters from different demographics and religions

KNOWN for portraying a diverse range of characters in notable shows like Sadda Haq: My Life, My Choice, Ghulaam and Haiwaan, Param Singh now wants to challenge himself further as an actor.

The popular performer wants to explore characters from different demographics, including playing a negative role for the first time.


That desire to push the acting envelope has included winning rave reviews for his performance in the Indian adaptation of Ibsen’s play Hedda Gabler.

Eastern Eye caught up with the versatile star to discuss acting, his recent stage triumph, and future hopes.

What kind of character do you want to portray at this point in career?

I just want to play characters that are different from what I have portrayed so far. In a future project, I wish to take up the role of an antagonist rather than a protagonist. Also, I want to explore characters from different demographics and religions because I feel that would help me change my dialect and  rhythm, as an actor. Given a chance, I would also like to portray a gangster.

You have portrayed a range of characters throughout your journey. What is your thought process behind choosing a script?

My thought process when selecting a character is to determine the essence it possesses, the challenging arc it has to itself, how my character transforms, if at all, and how it contributes to the story. I also give equal importance to thinking about the team I would be working with, including the makers, directors, and producers on board with the project. I generally take my own sweet time in selecting a project, but if something meaty or exciting comes my way, I take the shot of going ahead with it.

Do you prefer characters that are completely different from you or ones that are similar?

I prefer characters that are completely different from me. Honestly, I find it really boring to play myself on-screen, and don’t want to repeat myself there. However, even if a character is entirely different from one as an individual, an actor has to add their own nuances or elements to it. Similarities are bound to creep up at any given point of time, but I try to pick ones that are really different from me.

What changes have you observed in yourself as an artist over the years?

I think I have become more mature and calmer over time. On some days, I tend to prepare a lot, and other times, I don’t. Everything depends on the character and scene I am performing. A multitude of techniques exist. Learning never really has a dead end, if you ask me. I can say I am growing as an artist each day. It is all about the choices you make as an actor.

You have received acclaim for your role in the Indian adaptation of Ibsen’s play Hedda Gabler. How does it feel?

It feels amazing to know that people enjoyed watching my play and found my stint natural. I am really grateful to have gotten this opportunity.

Did you learn anything from the play, which is based on feminism and complexities of marriage?

My learning from it is the importance of finding joy and peace within ourselves for a healthy life. We can never know how an individual is on the inside, and everyone definitely has some or the other grey shade that is not shown. All of us pull on some sort of facade that isn’t wholly true. I feel that even if an individual has everything, it’s not necessary that he or she would be happy.

A lot of actors have lately launched their own production houses. So what are your thoughts on becoming a producer?

Truth be told, I’m not willing to become a producer at the moment. I just want to concentrate on being a good actor. However, I might give the thought of producing short films a try sometime in the future.

Your recent photoshoot caught everyone’s eye and since you aren’t active on social media, what was the idea behind it?

I think, as an actor, it’s really important to keep updating our profiles every six months, and hence, I got it shot. They help me build a perception of how I would look in a role when sending them across to industry professionals. (Laughs) Now that you mentioned it, I am happy they caught everyone’s eye.

(Photo credit: Aesana Bhuta)

More For You

Najmuddin Saifuddin & Brothers Deliver Qawwali Masterclass

NAJMUDDIN SAIFUDDIN & BROTHERS QAWWALI GROUP

www.easterneye.biz

Najmuddin Saifuddin & Brothers deliver a soul-stirring qawwali masterclass across the UK

Qawwali remains popular with cross-cultural audiences, but very few get the chance to experience one of the world’s oldest music genres in its purest form. Whether it is the diluted style seen in Bollywood adaptations or fusion with contemporary sounds, the tradition is often watered down.

Najmuddin Saifuddin & Brothers Qawwali Group stand apart from that commercialised crowd, presenting the Sufi genre in its most authentic style. The five talented brothers – sons of the late qawwali icon Ustad Bahauddin Khan Qawwal – belong to a remarkable lineage that traces directly back to the first group formed by the genre’s founding father in the 13th century.

Keep ReadingShow less
Celebrating 50 Years of Mili: A Timeless Hindi Classic

The year 1975 was significant in Indian cinema for newly crowned superstar Amitabh Bachchan

Prime Video

Celebrating 50 years of Mili, an underrated classic of Hindi cinema

The year 1975 was significant in Indian cinema for newly crowned superstar Amitabh Bachchan, as he starred in the two biggest films of that year, and also his career, Deewaar and Sholay.

These blockbusters cemented his position at the top. In between their releases came Mili, Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s decidedly different tearjerker.

Keep ReadingShow less
London's Jaipur Literature Festival seeks to
‘build bridges between cultures’

William Dalrymple with his artist wife Olivia Fraser

London's Jaipur Literature Festival seeks to ‘build bridges between cultures’

EASTERN EYE is supporting this year’s Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) at the British Library next Friday (13) to Sunday (15) as its media partner.

“We are happy to do so as we aim to be ‘the voice of British Asians’, as we say on our masthead,” said Shailesh Solanki, executive editor of the newspaper.

Keep ReadingShow less
The Aamir Khan Effect: Transformations That Stun and Inspire

Aamir Khan’s iconic transformation in Bollywood over the decades

Getty Images

Aamir Khan effect: Whiskers, wigs and big wow moments

Aamir Khan returns to the big screen this month in Sitare Zameen Par, a heart-warming Bollywood remake of the Spanish comedy-drama Campiones. He plays a disgraced basketball coach who takes on an unexpected challenge with a team of individuals with special needs.

Sporting a look unlike any from the past decade, the film – due out on 20 June – adds to the many transformations he has embraced over his career, from shifting hairstyles to dramatic facial hair.

Keep ReadingShow less
Exploring South Asian Faiths: A Cultural Journey at the British Museum

The Ancient India: Living traditions exhibition at the British Museum

Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

British Museum highlights Hindu, Jain and Buddhist traditions in UK context

The British Museum’s Ancient India: Living Traditions is among the most significant displays for Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists living in the UK.

Eastern Eye was given a tour of the exhibition by its curator, Dr Sushma Jansari, the Tabor Foundation curator of South Asia at the British Museum, and Kajal Meghani, the project curator, who has completed a PhD on the contributions of South Asian collectors to the museum.

Keep ReadingShow less