‘Hero jaisa dikhta hai’, Aamir Ali recalls being typecast after quitting TV, was told ‘you have an FIR hangover’ | Television News

Also Read: Aamir Ali opens up about being sexually harassed at 14, stopped travelling in trains after harrowing incident: ‘I was being touched’

Having spent more than 20 years in the acting world, sharing how he looks at the industry today, Aamir says, “I have been grateful. One thing I have understood about this industry for so many years is that you cannot plan anything. I never thought that for a few years in my career, I would be known as a dancer after winning a reality show, rather than being known as an actor. I made my bread and butter with dancing all over the world. You also realize one thing: you get chances, and it’s on you to take them or not. Either god gives it, or a producer gives it, but you get a chance, if you don’t do it to the fullest or kill it, it’s on you.”

‘There are ups and downs, insecurities, amazing moments…’

Aamir further went on to assess his time in the industry and shared, “It’s a very beautiful industry, but it’s thankless as well. So when you get a chance, you grab it and move ahead in life. There are ups and downs, insecurities, amazing moments, so it’s a mix of all. Today, in Mumbai, every building would at least have one person who wants to be an actor.”

Looking back at the time he decided to quit the industry, Aamir recalled, “When I took a break from TV, I just took a break. During the period when I had a shoulder surgery, I started watching OTT and saw Breaking Bad as my first show. Then I thought, this was something I wanted to do, so I started concentrating more on quality. I was never afraid that people would forget me, because that is not in my control. I wanted to do good work, now I do less work, I enjoy my life, and I only pick up a project if I connect with it. I am in a good space. It’s not like I am sitting at home and doing nothing. We as actors, if we don’t want to do something, we won’t work for a year, but if we work, then we can also do six projects in a year. So it depends on what excites us.”

‘I faced a lot of typecasting’

Even after three years of quitting the TV industry, Aamir Ali faces a few roadblocks when it comes to getting work in the OTT space. Agreeing that it’s a challenge, he shares, “In the beginning, I faced a lot of it, and it’s been only three years since I quit TV, so I still get that vibe. People still tell me, ‘Aapko TV pe dekha hai’. I have faced that, and I have been told that they cannot see me in a particular role.”

He further added, “I was told, ‘You are too that or this or hero jaisa dikhta hai. You are funny, but you have a FIR hangover.’ These things happen, but they require these makers with balls of steel and the confidence to see and show you in a different light. Some makers look at you differently, while others don’t. After the work I have done in the past, if I come and do something like this, it excites me.”

In his latest web series, Amar Vishwas that streams on Amazon MX Player, Aamir Ali is seen playing an antagonist. The show was released on 11th February.