After the third edition of Tripling in 2022, Amol Parashar returned to the screen early this year with Sweet Dreams, opposite Mithila Palkar. He will soon follow it up with TVF’s Gram Chikitsalaya, where he plays a doctor in a rural village. While the series has connotations similar to the hit series Panchayat, the actor swears that the story and treatment are distinct. Parashar also has a comedy film, Nausikhiye, with Abhimanyu Dassani that has yet to find a platform, but has got his parents’ seal of approval. In conversation with mid-day, the actor discusses his upcoming projects, why comedy is his favourite genre despite its challenges, and how OTT is neglecting a section of viewers.
Edited excerpts from the interview.
The year 2025 seems busy for you.
The last release I had was the third season of Tripling in 2022. It’s not that I haven’t worked in between. I have been shooting for several shows, but the release dates are just converging this year. I cannot decide when and where it will be released. But I believe my patience has paid off. As long as it all reaches people, I have no issues [waiting].
(From left) Akash Makhija, Anandeshwar Dwivedi, and Amol Parashar in Gram Chikitsalaya
Tell us about the TVF show Gram Chikitsalaya.
I am excited about this show. I like doing characters that people haven’t seen me play before. It is based in a small village’s primary health centre, where an idealistic person wants to change the world and be a good doctor, but the world doesn’t work on good intentions. It has interesting characters and scenarios that depict village life. Vaibhav Suman has written it under the guidance of showrunner Deepak Mishra [of Panchayat fame]. Maamla Legal Hai’s Rahul Pandey has directed it.
Does the show have similarities with Panchayat?
It seems similar to Panchayat because an outsider comes to a rural setup. However, all rural places in our country are different from each other. The intentions and reasons differ from Abhishek Tripathi [played by Jitendra Kumar] because my character wants to be there. The treatment and themes are different because the writer and director have a unique style and vision. The idea is to tell more stories in a similar milieu, but nobody wants to make the same thing. It is set in a far-off village in Jharkhand, so the dialect and conflicts are different.
Did you master a new dialect?
My character hails from the city, so I didn’t have to learn the dialect, but it is a different personality from who I am and how I have been onscreen before. I was happy that this time I didn’t have to master a new dialect. The series also explores how he tries to understand the language of the people he [serves].
With Nausikhiye, are you set to do another comedy?
For this film, I had to work on my dialect. It is an out-and-out comedy caper. I remember laughing so much when the writers sent the script to me. Writers Avinash [Dwivedi] and Chirag [Garg], who have also written the latest show Dupahiya on Prime Video, have crafted something special. I love the genre because it is difficult to execute, but it has a charm and gives you the freedom to play with the character. It sometimes allows reality to take a backseat. The thing I miss about the comedies we make is that they don’t make everyone laugh. Here, the jokes genuinely made me laugh out loud. The punchlines are fresh. I laughed so much during the narration that it was a given I would do the film. It’s a no-brainer comedy. We have already shot it, and it is almost ready for release.
What was the feedback on it?
I have seen and loved it, and so have my parents. Sometimes, my folks cannot watch everything that comes out on OTT. Their complaint about the web is that the shows are [mostly] all about killing each other or screwing each other, and there are too many expletives. That’s the feedback I get from them. However, while watching Nausikhiye, we were all laughing—my parents, my staff—everyone. That was a good sign.
Do you feel OTT is able to keep up with people’s expectations?
It is definitely in a better situation than it was 10 years ago. I have been around for a long time [laughs]. It has opened up avenues for writers, directors, and actors. Having said that, we expect perfection, but because OTT platforms provide creative freedom, content sometimes goes overboard. I believe it is okay for anyone to create whatever they wish, but I empathise with my parents. There are so many shows, but they don’t feel like they are made for them. I do think we are missing out on a large part of the audience that is also seeking entertainment. Once in a while, you will find shows that break the mould, but it is not easy to make and pitch it to platforms.