‘TV is full of drama,’ says actor Akash Singh Rajput

Tell us about Insta Reels.

This is my first music video where I am not just acting but singing as well. It was a major challenge for me to do both. Within four days of its release, the song has got four million hits.

What do you have to say about the trend of music videos?

I think it was always there. Be it Kishore da’s songs to Badshah’s tracks, Indians can’t do without music. That’s why our films have songs in them.

Have you taken any formal training in singing?

I sing all the time. I don’t have any formal training. I listen to all kinds of music.

Who is your favourite singer?

Kishore Kumar to Lata Mangeshkar to Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik to Honey Singh, Badshah, Arijit Singh and Atif Aslam. I like all of them and can’t choose one as my favourite.

What do you enjoy more, acting or singing?

I will choose acting because it was my childhood dream to become an actor. In my 6th standard, I was 105kg. Even then I thought I was Ajay Devgn and was the head of the dramatic department. I did theatre for three years. I used to write, act and sing. The love for acting in me will be there till I die.

You have worked on OTT and were a part of web series Aashram. What difference do you find between TV and the web?

TV is full of drama but OTT is much closer to reality and it reaches out to the audience in a more appropriate manner.

You have acted in films as well. Tell us about it.

Yes, my first film was Toilet Ek Prem Katha. It was a dream-come-true for me. I played a reporter in the film. When I did my shot, the director thought that I was a journalist in real and was impressed with my work.

What changes do you want to see in the entertainment industry?

The industry now moves on the basis of a business cycle. It keeps revolving according to the demand of the public and producers. The main focus is now on content and not actors anymore. I think Bollywood too, much like web, should start investing more on good scripts rather than the stars. Realistic cinema is in.

If not an actor, what would you have been and why?

If not acting, I would be a philanthropist. I feel social service is my calling and I would like to pursue it in the future.