Jay Zaveri talks about developing his craft as an actor

As an artist, Jay Zaveri is particular about trying something new, making the same look different and is open to experiment.

 

 

The Appnapan actor, who took a break from the industry, came back around 2018. And since then, he has earned a lot of praise for his work in web series’ like Asur, Barish, Abhay, Dil Hi Toh Hai, Karle Tu Bhi Mohabbat and Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain. He also impressed audiences with his performances in web shows such as Ishq Aaj Ka and Sky Fire . The actor talks about how he breaks the monotony and adds variety to his work.

“Firstly, I don’t think I will ever get bored of this profession because I’m still at the beginning of my career, and have a long way to go.  I try to pick roles which are different so that I don’t get bored. I have done positive roles, and characters with grey shades. Currently, I’m doing comedy as well. I believe that if you love what you are doing you will never get bored. This is a creative field. If you are doing the same thing, playing the same character day in and day out, it becomes a different lifestyle as you’re living that character.  So after a 12-hour shift when you come back to yourself, there you get a break. Also, I try and make sure not to repeat myself as far as characters are concerned. And if two characters have some similarity, I feel, then I add little nuances here and there to make things stand out,” he says.

Jay believes that an actor’s work never stops. They have to be observant. Observing different characters around us, and trying to adapt in a given situation helps artists to develop their craft.

“If you’re playing a character and you feel that there are few elements missing in that, it’s up to you as an actor, to find out what changes you can bring in that particular character. You can discuss it with the team and take it ahead. This is the first time I’m doing a comic thing and to give you an example, my director Jeetu Arora (Appnapan) helps me with the one liners, guides me and whenever I share my inputs, he listens to them and even incorporates whenever he finds it suitable. So it’s fun working with him and the team,” he says.

Jay recalls an incident that happened when he was working on the show Mere Sai. He faced a lot of problems because the language used in the show was a mix of Hindi, Sanskrit and Urdu.

“I had a habit of thinking and understanding scenes in English. So every time I faced the camera, I used to get confused. And our director Sachin Amre sir was very strict on the language, and the way the character speaks. So, I had to work extra hard. It was amazing to work with him as after that show my Hindi got much better. I think as an actor, you have to be selfish to improve yourself. I am selfish when it comes to taking feedback, doing more work and all,” he adds with a smile.

So what are the three tips you want to give to upcoming actors?

“When I started back in 2018, I thought for an actor, basic understanding of the camera, profiles, and acting techniques are enough. But, it requires much more to be a good performer. I’m not saying that you have to do a theatre workshop or so but you should have basic knowledge of acting to begin with. You should be able to understand the scenes, ready to adapt, open to ideas. You also have to have a knowledge of story writing as well,” he ends.