HTLS 2022: Pankaj Tripathi and Raveena Tandon on whether they'd want their kids to debut on OTT or the silver screen

Pankaj Tripathi and Raveena Tandon discussed during the second and last session of the day how to "imagine a new future," the topic of this year's HT Leadership Summit.

Pankaj has been a part of the Hindi cinema business for 20 years, but it wasn't until his performance in Anurag Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur that his career truly took off. Since then, Tripathi has exhibited his range and promise in other movies, including Newton, Ludo, Stree, and Mimi. His most well-known performance, for which he received the National Award, was in the 2017 movie Newton. With a string of successful shows including Sacred Games, Criminal Justice, and Mirzapur, Tripathi was also one of the first performers to enter and rule the OTT world.

Raveena, our third guest, has been the one to anticipate ever since she made her debut in the industry in 1991 with Patthar Ke Phool. She has established himself in the Indian film industry over the course of a career spanning more than three decades by playing compelling roles in movies like Daman, Aks, Shool, and Satta. Throughout her career, the actor has received numerous honours, including the National Film Award for Best Actress for her work in Kalpana Lajmi's Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence. She is currently rewriting her success story by looking for new opportunities, either in the OTT space with Aranyak or in the regional film market with the KGF franchise.

While talking about the difference between cinema and OTT as an actor, Pankaj said there is no difference. He said, "The medium is not important for an actor. There is no barrier between cinema and OTT. While shooting, the equipment, lighting, etc. are all the same. Every web series can be released on the big screen. There is no difference for an actor."

Later, when asked what you would tell your child, hypothetically, if they came to you for guidance on making their on-screen or big-screen debut, Pankaj says, "Debut in acting, not on screen."

He added, "When you are acting in front of the camera, there is no difference; the setup, quality of work, and everything else are all the same. Some are released on OTT, while others are on large screens. Technically speaking, neither of the objects differs much from the other."

Raveena, on the other hand, stated that for actors, both OTT and big screens are important. "Our responsibility when there is a camera is to consider the audience and the screens and perform, no matter how big or small. Simply learning how to act is sufficient," she added.

On the work front, Raveena and Pankaj will be next seen in Aranyak Season 2 and Mirzapur Season 3, respectively.