Mardaani 2 actor Vishal Jethwa is all set to make his digital debut with the series Human, but the actor says he was not even aware of the huge impact OTT content has created before landing this show. The actor, who played the malicious antagonist in the Rani Mukerji film, plays a lower-middle-class guy in this series based on unethical human trials of medicines. He said, “After Mardaani 2, I wasn’t sure about what I should do. I said no to a couple of OTT projects because back then I wasn’t even aware of the platform’s growth. Finally, after getting a call for this role, I read the script and my character and then decided that this is something I want to pursue.”
“Through my character Mangu, I represent the lower-middle-class people of India and the victims of unethical human trials. Through him, you will get to see to the strategies of the medical industry and how it uses vulnerable people, and the extent these victims have to go to,” he continued.
The series also sees Delhi Crime fame Shefali Shah and Kirti Kulhari in pivotal roles. Although Vishal had a good working rapport with all his co-stars, and shared the screen space with almost all of them, talking to Shah on their first meeting was something that did not come to him easily.
He recalled the incident, “I once saw Shefali ma’am when I was exiting the office but I could not muster the courage to talk to her. Later, I regretted it and thought to myself that I could have at least told her that I appreciate her work. Afterwards, when it was my turn to shoot a scene with her, Vipul sir (Shah’s husband co-director) told me that Shefali praised you a lot. Then after she arrived on the sets, she saw a rough cut of the first episode and immediately praised me for my performance in it. She made it easier for me to work with her and after that, I did not have any apprehensions.”
“When one of the most senior most actors in the industry praises you for your work, you know you are going on the right path,” he mentioned proudly.
Vishal also has an active presence on television and has appeared in shows like Bharat Ka Veer Putra – Maharana Pratap, Sankatmochan Mahabali Hanuman and Thapki Pyar Ki to name a few. Moreover, the 27-year-old actor will also be seen in Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif starrer Tiger 3.
Asked whether he would go back to television considering he is getting notable offers in Bollywood, he answered, “I don’t want to go back to television, for the time being. I am trying to survive here on my own and give my best to my work. Having said that, I consider TV as my second home and if I ever think that the time has come to return, I’ll do so without any apprehensions.”
Vishal, however, remained tight-lipped on Tiger 3 and did not divulge any details.
Human, also starring Seema Biswas, Aditya Srivastava and Mohan Agashe, among others, will be streaming on Disney+ Hotstar from January 14.
