I too was a misfit once: Sudev Nair
Not-Fit, a mockumentary web series by Sudev Nair, that throws light on the rejection faced by aspiring actors
By : elizabeth thomas
Update: 2015-11-09 00:09 GMT
Every struggling actor will have a story of rejection to narrate. They knock every possible door for an opportunity and many times, they get dumped, saying ‘misfit’ though they have a perfect body. Not-Fit, a mockumentary written and directed by the award-winning actor Sudev Nair throws light on the lives of these misfits. The satirical web series, launched a few weeks back, is getting a warm response from the crowd.
About the series, he says, “It is a seasonal web series. Each season will have 10 episodes with a duration of 15 minutes and it will be released every Wednesday on the Internet. So far, we have released three episodes. Like a movie, in one schedule we will be shooting episodes for a season.”
It is his own experiences during early days of his career that led Sudev, who does the lead character Neerav Kapoor in the mockumentary, to take this series. “This series is a blend of my experiences and imagination. Each episode of Not-Fit is going in tune with the life of struggling actors and their misconceptions about acting.
At first, every aspiring actor believes that having a good body and showing off makes them an actor. They will focus on everything else, except acting. They see themselves as future heroes of the industry. Neerav Kapoor is one such character. I too have thought like Neerav at some point. Just like Neerav, I too have been tagged ‘not-fit’ many times, even after waiting for long hours. That is why it is titled like that. It was after joining Film Institute that I understood the need of improving my acting prowess. Also, in auditions, you will come across certain elite casting directors who consider themselves as custodians of art. All these elements have been portrayed in this series with a touch of humour,” says Sudev.
“In Mumbai, when you go for an audition, you will see people with attitude. But it is in fact a mask to hide the insecurities burning inside. Eventually when they face camera, they will lose confidence. When I came here first, I was intimidated because my built was not perfect like theirs. However, gradually I realised that it is not the body, but acting skills that matter the most,” explains Sudev adding that the web-series trend is gaining momentum in Mumbai.
After making this concept, he had approached television and production houses to broadcast this series. Taking money from his pocket, he made the pilot episode. However, everyone turned down the project citing that it is too smart for the audience to digest. “It seems being smart is considered as a bad quality here. For one year, this project has been shelved. Then came the web-series boom in Mumbai. Big heads have come forward with their web-series.
One production house that realised the potential of this platform agreed to do Not-Fit. The first season is getting good response and we have already received an offer to do the second season,” he says gleefully.
According to Sudev, the current generation spends most of its time on the internet and hardly watch television. “It is because online viewing is convenient.” However, in his opinion, the web-series trend is yet to bloom in Malayalam though there are potential filmmakers. If his current series gets attention from the crowd here, he has plans to do a Malayalam web-series.
“Here, nobody has shown courage to explore its potential. I hope people would watch Not-Fit as they know me now. Once they familiarise with this concept, I will do an action-comedy web-series in Malayalam based on the martial art Kalaripayattu. I had learnt a bit of it during my course in film institute. However, prior to this
series, I have plans to come down to Kerala and learn it from a master here, staying with him,” says Sudev who has two new movies coming up. Anarkali directed by Sachy will hit theatres soon. He will also be seen in the lead role opposite Mia in Make a Wish, directed by Rajesh K R.
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